


Legends of Purgatory

by SharonSharpe



Category: DC's Legends of Tomorrow (TV), Wynonna Earp (TV)
Genre: AvaLance, Eventual Smut, F/F, Wayhaught - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-26
Updated: 2019-06-10
Packaged: 2019-07-17 17:55:17
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 17
Words: 26,617
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16100789
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SharonSharpe/pseuds/SharonSharpe
Summary: Sara and Ava are scattered in time and end up in Purgatory. Chaos ensues when they come across old friends, make new allies, and have a visit from a demon they would rather forget.





	1. Welcome to Purgatory

**Author's Note:**

> This is a big undertaking and I would appreciate any and all feedback that you amazing readers can provide.

“Temporal scattering will commence in 10, 9, 8,” Gideon’s voice counted down as Sara bolted through the hallways towards the bridge.

Just as she rounded the corner she ran smack into Ava. Ava grabbed her around the waist and dragged her back the way she came.

            “There are too many of them,” Ava panted as they ran.

            “The team has the jumpship on a mission. Can you open a portal?” Sara dragged Ava into an open doorway.

            “5, 4, 3.”

            “Whatever they used to disable your defenses short circuited my courier.”

            “2, 1.”

            “Hold on. Never let go Jack,” Sara wrapped her arms around Ava’s neck.

            “I’ll never let go,” Ava whispered as she wrapped her arms around Sara’s waist and she felt herself being ripped into the temporal zone.

Then darkness.

            The first thing that Sara noticed upon waking was the dust. Small particles of it dancing and flitting in the light rays streaming through the wooden slats above her head. When she tried to shift a pain shot up her left arm. Her eyes darted around taking in the surroundings. She was in a barn somewhere; piles of hay surrounded her, and old rusted farm equipment sat in the corners. She gently eased herself up on her good arm noticing Ava lying next to her. She leaned over examining the blonde quickly before gently cupping her cheek.

            “Ava, babe wake up,” Sara whispered but froze when she heard footsteps coming towards them.

Her hand reached to for Ava’s shoulder holster and was grateful when her fingers met cool metal. She heard Ava beginning to stir next to her and pressed her free hand to Ava’s chest grounding her as she regained consciousness. Suddenly a red-headed woman burst around the corner gun drawn. Behind her stood a brunette brandishing an old model long barreled revolver. Both were aimed at Sara’s head. Sara noticed the badge shining on the red head’s chest and lowered her weapon slightly.

            “We don’t mean any harm. My friend and I were dumped here. I think she has a concussion,” Sara said trying to keep her voice calm.

            “Who are you?”

            “Sara,” Ava’s voice cracked as she tried to fully regain consciousness.

            “I’m Sara Lance. My friend is an agent with the FBI. I’m assuming you’re a sheriff deputy in this town?” Sara lowered her gun and placed it on the ground next to them.

            “Officer Nicole Haught. Your friend have any identification?” the red-head said.

Sara reached into Ava’s jacket slowly and pulled out her badge pressing the small nick at the top that switched the logo to that of the FBI. Sheriff Haught examined it carefully before nodding to her friend. Sara turned her attention back to Ava who was having a hard time opening her eyes. Suddenly Ava’s eyes bolted opened and she sucked in a deep breath her eyes darting frantically until they settled on Sara.

            “Hey there. Breathe. I’m right here. We’re okay.”

Ava stared past Sara at the two other women in the barn. Her eyes narrowing and waiting for Sara to tell her if they were friends or foes.

            “I think we were dumped in their barn. They’re going to help us.” Sara said keeping her voice even.

            “Right. God my head hurts,” Ava winced as she sat up and touched the back of her head.

Her hand came away bloody. Sara’s hand immediately went to the back of Ava’s head; she swallowed hard when she felt the gash running along the base of the woman’s skull.

            “How did you end up here?” Nicole extended her hand to help Sara off the ground.

            “I’m not sure, I don’t remember much before waking up here,” Sara winced as she moved her left arm.

When she finally looked over at the arm she noticed that it was hanging limply at her side. It wasn’t broken but it was definitely dislocated. She kneeled again and helped Ava to her feet. The taller blonde swayed heavily and sucked in a breath through her teeth.

            “Let me help. That’s Wynonna. It’s her barn,” Nicole said as she lifted Ava’s other arm around her shoulder and helped Sara support her weight.

The four of them exited the barn and both blonde’s squinted against the sunlight. They were on a homestead. An honest to goodness homestead. It was warm and inviting; a small patch of serenity steady amongst the rolling hills of grass around it. It seemed like endless hills of grass slowly swayed in the slight breeze blowing around them. The smell of hay and freshly cup wood tickled their noses. Once they entered the homestead, they sat Ava on the couch and Sara sat down next to her gently rubbing her thumb over the back of her hand. Ava looked over and seemed to notice for the first time that Sara’s shoulder was handing limp. The woman that had identified herself as Wynonna joined them again followed by a cheery woman who upon seeing the two battered women rushed over with a first aid kit in her hand.

            “Hi. I’m Waverly. Looks like you took a beating. Your shoulder is dislocated. That has to hurt. Can I help you?” Waverly stumbled over her words.

            “Are you always this…chipper?” Sara squinted.

            “Yeah. You get used to it after a while,” Wynonna answered as she leaned against the doorway.

            “Don’t mind Wynonna, she’s just a grump,” Waverly shook her head at his sister before looking towards Sara again.

Sara nodded, and Waverly moved to stand over the small blonde’s shoulder. She gently felt along Sara’s shoulder and gripped the arm and shoulder tightly.

            “Ready?” Waverly asked.

            “Yep,” Sara said calmly.

            “Count of three. 1, 2,” Waverly popped Sara’s shoulder back into the socket with a loud pop.

Sara didn’t flinch and slowly stretched to test out the shoulder. When it didn’t slip back out Sara turned to Waverly and smiled.

            “Thank you.”

Waverly then turned her attention to Ava. She gently parted the woman’s hair but couldn’t hide the grimace on her face when she saw the large gash on the back of her head. Ava’s hair was matted with a thick layer of blood and some of it was clinging to the ragged edges of the cut. Waverly began gently cleaning the wound so she could get a better look.

            “I think you fell on one of the old tools lying around the barn,” Waverly said as she finished cleaning the wound and taking a better look.

            “She should go to the hospital. Get stitches. Maybe a tetnus shot,” Nicole said from the corner.

Sara and Ava’s eyes met quickly having an unseen conversation. They didn’t know how long they would be stuck in this town so they had to blend in, but it was going to be difficult to keep up their story when the hospital asked them to fill out paperwork.

            “I can do stitches. Ava doesn’t really like hospitals,” Sara said sweetly.

            “Purgatory has a top notch medical team,” Nicole chimed in.

Ava reached over and took Sara’s hand in her own. Her eyes met hers and she nodded slightly. Sara’s grip tightened around hers and they turned back to the door.

            “I’ll drive you,” Nicole smiled.

Sara helped Ava to her feet. Both women sharing surprised but warm looks when Waverly kissed Nicole gently and whispered for her to be careful. Ava and Sara stepped out on to the porch and looked out at the town around them. Sara smiled thinking of the last time she had been scattered in time. Salem was quite the adventure but it definitely not one she wanted to repeat. She unconsciously placed a hand at her throat thinking about how she was almost hung. Nicole  joined them a moment later with Wynonna at her side. She helped Ava into the squad car and raced towards the hospital.

An hour later Ava sat propped up in a hospital bed; the pull of fresh stitches raced along her scalp as Sara sat next to her rubbing circles on the back of her hand. They were waiting for the results of the test they insisted on giving Ava because of the obvious concussion. Both women insisted that blood tests and a urine analysis wasn’t necessary but finally yielded. Ava leaned over to rest her head on Sara’s shoulder.

            “What’s our story?” Sara mumbled as she kissed Ava’s head.

            “We were kidnapped from a neighboring down and dumped here. We want to recover first before going home. We’ll just find a motel and lay low until the team can recover us.”

Sara nodded and Ava snuggled closer to her just as Nicole and Wynonna joined them along with a steely-gazed man they hadn’t met. Sara tensed under the man’s gaze; her eyes darted around for anything she could use as a weapon.

            “Long time no see Sharpe,” the man said stepping towards the bed.

Ava’s eyes slowly opened and then went wide. She sat up abruptly, clutching at her temple from moving so quickly.

            “Dolls?” Ava frowned before a huge smile broke across her lips.

The man walked over and pulled Ava into a side hug. Everyone else in the room looked on confused as the two began throwing inside jokes and phrases at each other.

            “Well someone has to ask. How do you two know each other?” Wynonna huffed.

            “Ava and I were in the same academy class for Black Badge, but she quit mid training for some fancy job offer,” Dolls explained, his face going back to an emotionless mask.

            “Black Badge?” Sara raised an eyebrow.

            “They’re kind of a subgroup of the DEO,” Ava squeezed Sara’s hand.

            “Now Ava. You answer something for me. The smashed watch on your wrist. Time Bureau?” Dolls folded his arms over his chest.

Ava stared at him for a moment before pulling out her badge and holding it out for the man to take. He looked at it carefully then nodded.

            “Nicole can you call Waverly and ask her to meet us at the office,” Dolls began before turning back to the two blondes on the hospital bed, “What do you know about a demon that goes by the name of Malice?”

            Sara stiffened and gripped Ava’s hand tighter.

            “He’s dead,” Ava said matter of factly.

            “Not quite,” Dolls replied.

            “I’ve killed a lot of demons, but that guy is a special breed of dick,” Wynonna shook her head and moved closer.

Ava clutched Sara’s hand tight in hers as they stared into each other’s eyes. Both of their minds racing back to the last time they had encountered the demon. This time there were no totems or fluffy blue monster to defeat the demon that had a desire for Sara’s soul.


	2. What's the Plan?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mallus...Malice? The time demon is back and they have no idea how. They will all need to work together if they want to end the threat once and for all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it has been so long since an update. I have been working on mapping out the logistics of everything. I finally have a story progression I am satisfied with. Expect more frequent updates. This story takes place around Season 2 but you don't need an extensive knowledge of the show to understand it. Really you need to know that they all are badass and that Peacemaker sends things to hell.

Thirty minutes later everyone was gathered around a table at the BBD offices. Dolls flipped open his laptop and clicked on a video motioning for Sara and Ava to come closer.

            “Malice showed up about a week ago. This is the only video footage we have of him,” Dolls said as he hit play.

The footage was from a camera in front of Shorty’s and for a few moments only showed a view of an empty street. Suddenly, a circle in the pavement opened up with fire spewing from inside. A ghastly white hand came out of the circle, followed by another as a man pulled himself up onto the pavement before the circle closed again. He was shirtless and only wearing a pair of black slacks. A shock of white blonde hair covered his eyes and he brushed it away as he sat up. He looked around for a moment before a feral smile pulled on his lips and he disappeared from the view of the camera. Dolls stopped the video and turned to the two blondes who had gone stiff their eyes wide.

            “Did he just crawl out of hell?” Ava gulped hard.

            “That’s impossible. John says that no one can escape hell. How can he just crawl out?” Sara frowned her fingers clenching into fists at her side.

            “That’s what we’re trying to understand, and why here?” Dolls stood and motioned for them to follow him over to a board in the room.

He explained about the Ghost River Triangle and about revenants. When he got to the part about Peacemaker Sara spun to look at Wynonna who was sitting atop a desk eating popcorn.

            “Why don’t you just shoot him?” Sara asked.

            “Tried,” Wynonna said through a mouth full of popcorn, “he didn’t die.”

            “How is that possible? Mallus is a demon just like the revenants,” Sara huffed.

            “Malice,” Waverly corrected before averting her eyes when Sara frowned at her.

            “So what do we do? What’s your plan?” Ava asked as she placed a calming hand on Sara’s shoulder.

The room was silent as everyone looked around and shifted uncomfortably.

            “You don’t have one,” Ava ran a hand through her hair wincing when the stitches pulled.

            “Well usually all it takes is one shot from Peacemaker to send them to hell for good, and when I shot him Peacemaker lit up and everything but maybe it wasn’t enough. How did you kill him?” Wynonna asked as she spun the gun around her finger.

            “Ancient totems, but apparently they weren’t strong enough either because he crawled out of hell,” Sara sat down heavily in a chair.

            “The totems of Zambesi?” Waverly asked as the crossed the room to pick up a weathered book.

Ava nodded and watched as Waverly flipped through the book finally settling on a page.

            “It says here that the totems of Zambesi when used in unison bind a demon to death,” Waverly smiled handing the book to Dolls.

            “But Malice is still out there,” Wynonna frowned.

            “Waverly you are genius,” Dolls said slamming the book and walking over to the computer, frantically pulling up a file.

            “I can’t argue with that, but I don’t get what’s happening,” Nicole frowned but joined them around the computer.

Dolls pulls up a file on Peacemaker and its history, his eyes skimming over the page before pointing to a particular line.

            “Peacemaker wields the power to send revenants to hell or the righteous to heaven,” he reads a satisfied grin on his face.

            “Hate to break it to you D, but we already knew that. Remember it glowed blue when I shot Willa,” Wynonna quips.

            “You’re brilliant Agent Dolls,” Ava smiled.

            “Clue us non-agency mind melding people in,” Wynonna clipped.

            “Ditto,” Sara chimed in.

            “Malice is a time demon which means he is a combination of all the righteousness and evil throughout time,” Ava began.

            “Righteousness and evil together is chaos,” Nicole frowned.

            “Exactly. Sara, when you killed Malice before you bound him to death but not to hell.”

            “Hell is the physical manifestation of chaos so to kill him, we have to mix the streams,” Wynonna added proud of herself and holding her hand up for a high five.

Everyone turned back to the computer and was about to high five herself when Sara did it instead. They shared a smile and turned back to the computer.

            “Now we just have to figure out how. Waverly look through our archives on Peacemaker and see if you can find anything,” Dolls stood up, “how long will you two be staying?”

Sara and Ava shared an unsure look. The last time the Legends had been scattered in time it had been months before they were found. The Time Bureau would begin looking for Ava soon but even their searches would take a while. They had no idea how long they would be stuck in Purgatory. The Time Bureau hadn’t been invented yet, so she couldn’t exactly call them.

            “Long enough to defeat Malice once and for all,” Sara said finally.

            “Alright, we’ll need to start integrating you into the town. People will become suspicious if random strangers with no purpose are running around,” Dolls shrugged on his coat.

            “Your town is infested with demons and two random blondes will be suspicious?” Sara quirked an eyebrow.

            “Dolls has been here for months and people are still suspicious of him,” Wynonna teased.

            “We have work to do. One of you will work the BBD angle with me and one of you will help Officer Haught as a deputy,” Dolls said with finality.

            “I’m with Nicole,” Sara and Ava say it at the same time then turn to look at each other frowning.

            “Seriously Sara, I think being a sheriff deputy is a little more scalpel adjacent don’t you think,” Ava snorted.

            “Drunk idiots picking fights sounds more in my wheelhouse don’t you think,” Sara fired back.

Ava took a step closer making Sara gulp before dropping her head to Sara’s ear.

            “Don’t you want to see me in that uniform, we could finally do that roleplay you wanted,” Ava hums her voice sultry.

            “Fine. You win,” Sara can feel the heat crawling up her neck when she thinks about Ava in that damn uniform, a deeper flush forming when she thinks about peeling it off.

            “Great, Sara we’re on recon. Let’s see what Malice is up to,” Dolls turns and stride out the door.

            “Shotgun,” Wynonna says as she leaves, “yo Dolls you have a booster seat for Agent Lance.”

Sara’s jaw flexes as she spins on Ava who is trying her best not to laugh. Ava kisses her quickly then pushes her gently towards the door.

            “So, is that a no on the booster seat?” Wynonna’s voice can be heard down the hall.

            “I will end you, Earp,” Sara fires back.

Ava turns to Nicole and Waverly with a smile as Nicole leads her to the locker room to get a uniform and meet Sheriff Nedley.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is pretty dialogue heavy but I thought it was required to set up the dynamics of the team. This chapter acts as the set up to the main portion of the fic. Don't worry the action is coming believe me. Let me know what you think in the comments.


	3. Not Exactly Human

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Malice is back and Sara wants to help take him down, but will her soul be compromised in the process.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just to clarify this is taking place a little after season 2. So after Alice is born and Willa is dead.

Dolls pulled up just outside the line of sight of an abandoned warehouse where a gang of bikers could be seen wandering around guns glinting in their hands in the sunlight.

            “Aren’t those Bobo’s men?” Wynonna leaned forward to look closer.   
            “Malice is a stronger demon so they chose him as their new leader,” Dolls said handing Sara pair of binoculars, “that’s him leaning against the barrels on the left.”

Sara lifted the binoculars to her eyes and focused them on the back of the man’s head Dolls pointed out. Just as she focused them he turned a feral smile on his face. Sara dropped the binoculars as the memory of the last time she was possessed flooded back to her.

            “You okay?” Wynonna asked staring at the wide-eyed assassin.

            “Yeah. He just didn’t look like that the last time. He looked like a demon. Horns and everything. Now he just looks like a guy,” Sara passed her the binoculars.

They sat in silence for a moment and Sara stared out the window to take in their surroundings. The warehouse was falling apart, the walls rusted and beginning to warp away from the building. All the men wandering around the perimeter were dressed head to toe in leather. Malice was wearing simple black pants and a blood-red leather vest. The dark colors were a stark contrast to his bright white skin. Sara pushed down the rising sense of hopelessness bubbling in her gut.

            “What is he doing?” Wynonna’s voice broke through the fog of her mind.

Sara’s eyes went back to the window and watched as Malice and the men began mounting bikes.

            “We need to get out of here,” She said in a rushed breath.

            “We’re over the ridge they can’t see us,” Dolls said with finality.

            “Drive! Now!” Sara screamed just as she blacked out.

Sara blinked coming back to consciousness. She felt the cool sand underneath her and the suffocating weight of Malice around her. She pushed herself onto her elbows and stood.

            “Hello, Sara,” Malice’s voice reverberated in her ears.

            “Mallus,” Sara whispered.

            “For the hundredth time, it’s Malice. No matter. I’ve missed you.”

            “Well, the feeling isn’t mutual.”

Malice’s laughter surrounded her and she tried to focus on happy thoughts. Ava. She had to focus on Ava.

            “Aww, isn’t that sweet. The assassin is in love. Too bad it won’t last.”

            “Yeah. Maybe, but she’s worth the risk. I’m worth the risk.”

            “You’ll only hurt her you know.”

Sara stopped talking to him and tried to focus on Ava again. Her smile. The warmth she feels when Ava hugs her. The blush that creeps to Ava’s face when Sara tells her she loves her.

            “Oh, Sara. Resisting me is futile. You see this town is made for demons like me. I can draw power directly from the soil here. It’s filled with power and I’m getting stronger by the day. Soon, so very soon I’ll find what I need to break this silly bond you made and then I’ll have you.”

            “No. I’ll never submit to you Mallus.”

            “It’s Malice! You won’t have to submit Sara. You’ll come willingly.”

            “Never.”

Malice simply laughed. The sound bouncing around in her head and she tried to focus again. She tried to reach out of Ava. Tried to wake herself up, but she couldn’t she sank to her knees in the sand her breath coming out in gasps as she tried to breath. She could feel the darkness creeping closer. Pulling her in reminding her of her failure.

Leo dead. Martin dead. Laurel dead. Her father dead. Jax left her. Amaya left her. Her mother left her. Ava…

            “Ava, help me,” Sara whimpered as she felt forward unconscious in the sand.

 

Ava adjusted the gun belt at her hip and followed Nicole into Shorty’s. The bar was empty except for a man restocking the bar.

            “Doc,” Nicole said leaning against the bar and sitting her hat on the counter.

            “Officer Haught, to what can I attribute this visit,” the man said pulling a bottle of whiskey from the shelf along with three glasses.

Ava joined them, sitting her hat atop the counter and taking the shot glass offered to her. The man knocked his back and poured himself another one before turning to Ava.

            “And who might you be?” he quipped tipping the shot glass back again.

            “Ava Sharpe. I’m here to help with a case,” Ava said trying to pick up cues from Nicole about who this man was.

            “This is Doc. He is somewhat helpful in cases,” Nicole explained.

            “Officer Haught, you wound me. I like to think that my unique abilities have proven useful on countless occasions,” Doc said taking Nicole’s shot and downing it.

            “Wait. Did you say Doc?” Ava stared at the man for a moment before her eyes went wide, “holy shit. You’re Doc Holliday.”

            “Guilty as charged,” Doc tilted his hat to her and Ava knocked back the shot.

            “Sorry,” Ava apologized.

            “Didn’t even turn a hair. I like her already,” Doc said leaning against the bar.

            “Do you remember Wyatt mentioning anything about how to cross streams with Peacemaker?” Nicole asked her tone becoming serious.

Doc thought for a moment before pouring himself another shot. After he drank that one he filled all three glasses.

            “Wyatt once mentioned that it was possible. One of them what do you call ‘em, theoreticals,” Doc finally answered taking another shot.

            “Did he mention how?” Ava asked instinctively leaning in towards the man. For some reason, she was drawn to him. She wanted to hold onto his every word.       

            “No. Only that an heir of unimaginable power could do it.”

Ava sat back and knocked back the other shot. There was a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach that she couldn’t shake.

            “Ava.”

Ava turned around her eyes wide. She could have sworn she heard Sara’s voice. When she turned back, Nicole and Doc were staring at her confused.

            “Something wrong? You look like a woman stricken,” Doc said frowning.

            “I’m fine. I thought I heard,” Ava gasped when she felt her heart began to pound in her chest, “Sara. We need to get to Sara.”

            “Did something happen?”

            “I don’t know but we need to find them. Now!” Ava shouted as she put on her hat and raced out the front door with Nicole on her heels.

Nicole hung up as she slipped into the driver’s side and Doc jumped in the back. Her tires screeched as she spun off the siren wailing.

            “You were right. Dolls said something happened when they were staking out Malice’s hideout. Sara is unconscious,” Nicole explained as they raced across town.

 

Five minutes later Nicole swung her car next to Dolls’s and Ava jumped out before she could put it in park. She raced around to the other side of the car where Wynonna was kneeling next to an unconscious Sara Lance, Peacemaker was laying on the ground next to her slowly pulsing with orange light. There was a bright white streak of hair across Sara’s temple and Ava sank to her knees next to her girlfriend.

            “Sara. I need you to come back to me,” Ava placed her hand at Sara’s throat as she had done before.

Wynonna had the feeling that they were being watched. She looked over and noticed that Dolls felt it too. His eyes were scanning the horizon for trouble too.

            “Baby, please. I’m right here. Sara focus on my voice. Can’t you feel me?”

Suddenly Sara’s eyes flew open, but they were still completely black.

            “Ava, run!” Sara gasped out just as two figures appeared from over the ridge.

Malice was with them a sickly-sweet smile playing on his lips as he looked at Ava. Their eyes met, and Ava felt rage race through her veins.

            “Isn’t that sweet. You actually think you can save her,” Malice hummed.

Without thinking, Ava picked up Peacemaker from the ground and leveled it at Malice.

            “Kill her,” Malice spoke, and revenant raced towards them.

            “Give it to me, it only works for…” Wynonna reached for Peacemaker just as Ava cocked the gun back.

Tendrils of orange light raced down Ava’s arm and curled around the gun as she cocked it back and fired striking the revenant dead center between the eyes. The gates of hell opened and sucked him down as he screamed. The silence that followed seemed to stretch on forever. Ava looked into Malice’s eyes, it took a moment for her to recognize the look on his face as fear. He disappeared from their view. Ava dropped the gun to the ground and turned her attention back to Sara. Sara groaned and opened her eyes again, this time they were the normally deep blue that Ava loved.

            “Thank you,” Sara croaked out and held Ava’s hand.

            “Okay. I’ll say it. What the fuck is going on?” Wynonna yelled as she put Peacemaker back in its holster and stood up brushing away the dirt from her clothes.

Sara and Ava shared a look before Sara spoke her voice cracking slightly.

            “Malice has possessed me before. He’s trying to do it again,” Sara explained.

Wynonna still looked confused but before Sara could speak Doc cut her off.

            “I believe Wynonna was referring to Ms. Sharpe’s ability to fire Peacemaker,” Doc said leaning against the car and lighting a cigarette.

            “Not to mention that the same markings on Peacemaker were running down your arm,” Nicole added.

            “I…I don’t know. I just picked it up and fired,” Ava stammered.

            “Only an Earp heir can send revenants back to hell with Peacemaker,” Wynonna frowned her hand going to her gun belt.

            “She’s from the future so she could be an Earp,” Dolls suggested.

            “See there’s only one small problem with that. I’m not exactly human,” Ava said.

Everyone frowned in confusion and Sara linked her fingers with Ava.


	4. Earp Holliday

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ava learns more about her connection to the Earps the team theorizes about Malice

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay. I've been really focused on my fic Off The Record. Believe me I haven't forgotten about this story. Thank you for your amazing feedback and support. I have a tumblr now. 
> 
> Follow me @SharonSharpe

“Who are you again?” Sara frowned at the man drawing blood from Ava’s arm.

                “I’m Jeremy. I’m the chair guy. The scientist. Although I have been known to go into the field too,” Jeremy stammered under the questioning gaze of the blonde.

                “Stop messing with him Sara,” Ava smirked.

                “But it’s so fun. He’s like a little Ray,” Sara leaned down pressed a quick kiss to Ava’s lips.

Jeremy took the vile of blood in his hand and inserted it into a machine. The machine spun and sequences began showing on the screen in front of him.

                “What are we looking for exactly?” Dolls said as he looked down at the code on the screen.

                “This is Ava’s genetic sequences. It’s really impressive honestly.”

                “Are there usually that many?” Nicole joined them at the computer.

                “No, but you said Ava is a clone. Her DNA is an amalgamation of all the women throughout history they collected DNA from,” Jeremy said his eyes darting over the screen.

Sara leaned over wrapping her arms around Ava’s shoulders. She dropped her head to the crook of the woman’s neck kissing her. Ava’s shoulders relaxed a little, but the shadow that had crossed her eyes was still there.

                “Babe, come on,” Sara stepped in front of Ava holding out her hand.

Ava looked up confused for a moment before taking Sara’s hand allowing the smaller blonde to lead her away.

                “We’ll be back,” Sara called over her shoulder as she pulled Ava out into he hall.

When they entered the hall, Sara didn’t say anything until they reached the empty supply closet she scouted out earlier. She pushed Ava in ahead of her then closed the door as she closed the distance. Ava was staring down at the floor when Sara tucked a finger under her chin forcing her to look up.

                “Babe, talk to me,” Sara whispered as her hand moved to cup Ava’s cheek.

                “I’m just an amalgamation of DNA,” Ava whispered her jaw flexing in Sara’s hands.

                “I swear I will go kick Jeremy’s ass for saying that.”

                “It’s the truth, Sara.”

                “No. You are more than just a mix of DNA. You are just as real as me or any them out there.”

                “How can you still think that? How can you believe when you see the evidence?”

                “I told you what Rip said. Avas weren’t meant to feel,” Sara punctuated her sentence with a kiss.

Sara’s hands went to Ava’s belt as she leaned up to kiss along her jaw. Ava shuddered but Sara could still feel the tension rolling off of her. The button went next. Sara dragged down the zipper slowly copying the slow slide with her tongue along Ava’s neck until she reached her collarbone and bit down sharply. Ava hissed her hands taking hold of Sara’s. She looked down into Sara’s blue orbs that were bright even in the darkness.

                “What are you doing?” Ava panted.

                “Trust me,” Sara leaned up, one hand tangled in Ava’s hair as she connected their lips roughly.

Her tongue darted out and licked into Ava’s welcoming mouth dragging a groan from the taller blonde. Her other hand untucked the uniform shirt from her pants and ran a warm hand up Ava’s stomach as their mouths continued to duel. Sara’s hands moved from Ava to undo her own jeans a smirk playing at her lips.

                “Avas weren’t meant to feel,” Sara whispered in Ava’s ear as she took Ava’s hand and slid it down the front of her jeans to the gathering wetness there, “but you feel me now, right?”

A feral groan pulled from Ava’s lips as she dragged her fingers through Sara’s wetness.

                “Fuck, baby,” Ava pulled Sara closer.

                “You are real Ava. If you aren’t why do I feel this way about you. Why have I wanted to rip that stupid uniform off you since I saw you in it?” Sara gasped and pulled Ava’s hand away when the woman pinched her clit.

                “Because you’re insatiable,” Ava teased.

                “Stop it. I’m trying to be sexy,” Sara stopped short when Ava sucked her still glistening fingers into her mouth.

Sara crashed her lips against Ava’s and shoved her hand past the woman’s underwear. Ava gasped at the touch a whimper spilling from her lips when Sara’s lips moved to her ear.

                “Sara,” Ava whined at the slow circles Sara was making against her clit.

                “Do you feel me now, babe?” Sara nipped Ava’s ear gently as her fingers slipped lower to Ava’s entrance.

Sara’s question was only answered by a gasp and the feel of Ava’s hips rocking into her hand.

                “You are real Ava Sharpe. There is no one in this world like you,” Sara punctuated her words by slipping two fingers into Ava’s entrance and curling her fingers, “you are gorgeous, so fucking smart, and I love you.”

Ava started panting as Sara pressed her thumb to her clit. A rushed “don’t stop” spilled from her lips as her hands tried to find purchase on anything she could find. They finally settled in Sara’s hair as the woman continued to pump her fingers in and out.

                “I love you Ava Sharpe. You may be a clone, but none of them can hold a candle to you. None of them can make me feel the way you do,” Sara felt her walls beginning to flutter.

                “Ahhh! Baby!” Ava whimpered her eyes slamming shut as her legs trembled.

                “That’s it. Fall for me,” Sara forced Ava to open her eyes, “you are real.”

Sara’s voice tipped Ava over the edge as she came hard. Her head thudded against the wall and Sara’s name spilled from her lips over and over. When she came down from her high Sara was languidly licking her fingers. The action sending another ripple down Ava’s spine.

Both women jumped when someone knocked on the door.

                “Um…we finished the DNA test. You know when you’re finished,” Jeremy squeaked.

Once they heard his rushed footsteps retreat from the door, Sara burst into laughter and Ava blushed hard.

                “He heard us,” Ava groaned as she tucked her shirt back in hastily.

                “I’m sure he’s heard or seen worse. Have you met Wynonna?” Sara laughed.

Sara moved to open the door, but Ava stopped her, pulling her into a tight hug and dropping her head to Sara’s shoulder.

                “Thank you,” she whispered before kissing her again and opening the door.

                “You can thank me properly later,” Sara smirked.

                “See. Insatiable.”

Sara and Ava rounded the corner hand in hand but came up short at the unreadable expressions and tears in the eyes of the other people in the room.

                “What?” Ava asked.

Sara tightened her grip, rubbing her thumb against the back of Ava’s hand. Wynonna slid of the desks where she was sitting and slowly made her way over to the women. She stopped a foot short of them before looking into Ava’s eyes. Ava tensed her eyes going wide when Wynonna wrapped her arms around her in a tight hug. Sara looked to the others in the room for an explanation, but Waverly crossed the room next joining in the hug.

                “Um…can someone explain what this is?” Sara stared at the two women still hugging her girlfriend.

                “A third of Ava’s DNA profile matched with Alice Michelle Earp,” Jeremy explained.

                “Who?”

                “My daughter,” Wynonna stepped away scrubbing her face, “our daughter.”

Wynonna looked over her shoulder to Doc who was leaning against a desk, his gaze fixed on Ava. Ava looked around the room to the people who were now staring at her smiles on their faces. A lump formed in her throat as she looked at her family…could she even call them that? Does it count if thousands of other Avas somewhere in the future shared the same blood? Sara’s calming hand on the small of her back pulled her out of her thoughts as Jeremy began to explain his findings.

                “So, I’m an Earp/Holliday?” Ava said testing the names on her tongue.

                “Yes. Well partially. Whoever collected the DNA used to make you used a large quantity of Alice’s DNA,” Jeremy explained.

                “What does that mean? How does that explain why I can fire Peacemaker? Or the runes running down my arm when I fired it?”

                “I…um…we haven’t got that far. However, it makes sense that you can fire Peacemaker because you’re an Earp.”

                “But she’s not an heir,” Nicole questioned.

                “Maybe she is,” Waverly spoke up, “just to a different curse.”

                “You lost me Waves. The Earp curse is the Earp curse. What do you mean a different one?” Wynonna frowned.

                “Ava is from the future and she was fighting this time demon with her team right? What if the creators of the Avas were fighting a curse of their own.”

                “That would explain why they would seek out Earp DNA,” Dolls added.

                “I kind of liked the whole we’re perfect women thing but okay,” Wynonna shrugged.

                “But Malice first appeared in Zambesi, not the Ghost River Triangle,” Sara explained.

                “True, but Malice is a time demon. He could literally travel to whatever century he pleased,” Ava sighed.

                “That’s why Rip recruited you. He knew that he needed and Earp to kill Malice for good.”

                “Why me? Why not recruit Wynonna or Waverly or Alice?”

                “He did say you were special.”                                                                                                                                   

                “Well I for one am getting a headache from all this time travel mumbo jumbo,” Doc stood and began walking out the door, “Ms. Sharpe if you really are my great-great granddaughter.”

                “It would be more greats than that,” Nicole mumbled under her breath.

                “I would like to put it to a test,” Doc tipped his hat and walked out the door.

Sara locked eyes with Ava as her face shifted from confused to excited. Ava hurried after Doc with Sara on her heels. The others looked at each other for a second before realization hit them and they followed the women out the door leaving Jeremy alone.

                “A test? From Doc Holli…oh. Oh! Sweet target practice,” Jeremy tripped as he bolted for the door, “guys wait for me.”


	5. Fire!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bullets, guilt, new friends

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I haven't forgotten about this fic. Pinky swear. This story, as well as my other shorter fics, will be getting more attention now that my main fic is coming to a close.

A soft breeze rustled through Sara’s hair as she took the beer offered to her by Wynonna. She leaned against the railing of the homestead’s porch, watching her girlfriend shake out her arms and flex her fingers. On the table in front of Ava were four pistols, one more in the holster at her waist, all loaded and waiting. In front of her, spread out across the yard were various targets and bottles on different heights and levels.

                “If she’s an Earp that makes me your mother-in-law,” Wynonna smirked taking a sip of her beer.

                “Hmm. Well, I already hate you so…” Sara fired back raising an eyebrow.

Wynonna nodded a slight smirk on her face as she clinked her beer against Sara’s.

                “Now Ms. Sharpe, all you need to do is hit every target without wasting a bullet,” Doc drawled sitting another pistol down on the table, “Hollidays don’t miss.”

He tipped his hat to Ava and took a step back. Jeremy slid into the space next to Sara, energy rolling off him in waves. Ava’s eyes danced over the targets in front of her. She took in a deep breath and slowly blew it out as her hand darted to the pistol on her hip first. The agency training kicking in as she gauntleted her hand and fired round after round, the bottles on the left side of the yard shattering in rapid succession. Just as smoothly she moved to the pistols on the table, her finger snapping against the trigger.

                “Wow,” Jeremy breathed out, his fingers tapping furiously against the iPad in his hands.

Ava picked up the final pistol and leveled it towards the targets furthest away, instead of the gauntleted grip she had been using before, her grip was relaxed with one arm extended. She emptied the gun with ease, every bottle, and target shattered or marked with a bullet. With a final huff, she sat down the pistol on the table, her brow furrowing as she stared at the now empty guns. Ava turned her eyes connecting with Sara. Sara was smiling brightly as she lifted her beer in the air.

                “That’s my girl,” Sara laughed taking a long swig of the beer.

Ava turned to look at Doc. The man was staring at her, his eyes unfocused for a moment before taking a step closer and enveloping her in a hug. Ava tensed for a moment before hugging him back, breathing in his unique smell, old books, gunpowder, and whiskey.

                “That was some fine shootin’ Ms. Sharpe,” Doc whistled as he picked up the pistols from the table and began reloading them.

                “Thanks…Mr. Holliday, sir,” Ava stammered.

Wynonna pulled her into a hug next, followed by Waverly. Waverly was tearing up slightly as she pulled away. Wynonna was too but brushed the tears away complaining about dust. Her heart was thudding in her chest as she watched the man that was technically her great-grandfather slowly load the pistols. The wind whipped across the homestead, and she sighed, looking around at the people who were her family. Guilt sat heavy in her chest when she thought about the two actors back in Fresno. After finding out the truth, they had offered to stay in her life. They had even had dinner on a few occasions, but every moment with them felt like a lie.

Sara’s arm wrapped around her waist, pulling her out of her thoughts when she felt the woman’s lips press to her temple.

                “Hey, talk to me,” Sara whispered, tugging gently on Ava’s hand and pulling her away from everyone.

                “I feel guilty,” Ava admitted, her fingers fidgeting with the holster on her hip.

                “For being an Earp?”

                “For having a family. The other clones will never meet them. They’ll never know.”

                “You’re not like the other clones Ava,” Sara cupped her cheeks in her hand, “you are different. You are special. You are real, remember.”

                “Look at them Sara,” Ava’s eyes flitted over to Waverly and Wynonna who were doing their best to not look in their direction.

Waverly was making a point to appear like she was talking to Nicole. Wynonna was staring at Peacemaker, her eyes darting up to look at her every few seconds. Doc was crouched down looking at the shattered remains of one of the bottles, a smirk playing on his lips. When Ava turned to look at Sara again, the smaller blonde was smiling.

                “You look happy,” Sara smiled, “you’re allowed to be happy Aves.”

Ava leaned down and met Sara’s lips in a quick kiss, before walking hand in hand back to the group.

                “Okay. What’s our next move?” Ava asked, her grip tightening on Sara’s.

                “To get me another bloody drink,” John Constantine’s voice sounded from behind them.

Everyone spun to look at the man walking up to them, his tie hanging loosely at his neck, a smirk on his lips. A bottle of something hung loosely from his fingers.

                “John? What are you doing here?” Sara asked, her eyes wide.

                “I heard our old friend Mallus is back,” John began.

                “Malice,” Waverly corrected.

                “Sure, love,” John smirked, “whatever you want to call him, he’s back, and he’s after your soul love. I figured you needed my help.”

                Ava frowned, her body visibly tensing from being around the warlock again. Wynonna’s eyes scanned over the drunk Englishmen, her brow furrowing.

                “Listen…buddy. My family has been dealing with these demons for years. We don’t need your help,” Wynonna said taking a step closer to John.

                “Malice isn’t like the petty demons you have sent to hell, sweetheart. You need me. I’m surprised our paths haven’t crossed before.”

John stepped enough to Wynonna that she could smell the cheap scotch on his breath. Her fist came up to punch him, but Nicole caught her by the arm and dragged her back towards the homestead.

                “That smug asshole!” Wynonna yelled fighting against Nicole’s grip.

John laughed and finished off the bottle in his hand, before reaching into his pocket, removing a flask and taking a deep swig.


	6. Connections

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Constantine has joined the fight against Malice, but will his interference help or hinder the plan.

Waverly looked around the table at the occupants of the homestead. Wynonna was still glaring at John despite the flask of whiskey she was currently nursing. John was leaning against the fridge, idly flipping a coin in his hand. Everyone else was awkwardly looking around the room at each other, their expressions unreadable, a heavy silence hanging over the room.

    “So…I think we all got off on the wrong foot. Let’s start over shall we?” Waverly smiled, “I’m.”

    “Waverly Earp. That’s your sister Wynonna. Doc Holliday. Jeremy Chetri. Xavier Dolls. Nicole Haught. I know who all of you are love and that’s not important to me. I’m here to settle a score with Malice.”

    “Oh, well. There’s more to this demon than,”

    “Than I think. I’ve heard that line before. Listen pet I’ve handled more demons and magical creatures than you can imagine.”

    “We’ve been handling things fine before you got here Johnathan,” Wynonna fired back.

    “Let’s all just calm down here,” Nicole said stepping up and placing a hand on Waverly’s shoulder.

Ava was still staring down at her hands. The thought of the runes racing down her arms playing over and over in her mind. Malice’s face. The fear in his eyes when he looked at her.

    “Aves,” Sara’s voice cut into her musing, a calming hand on her back.

    “What?” Ava lifted her head to see everyone else walking out the door of the homestead.

    “I lost you for a second there. What’s on your mind?”

    “Malice…he looked afraid.”

    “What?”

    “After I fired Peacemaker. There was fear in his eyes.”

Sara frowned trying to think back to her run-ins with Malice. She felt the cold of the other world he had dragged her too. The pressure around her temples whenever he talked.

    “I’m coming for you Sara,” the voice wasn’t in her head anymore.

Sara’s eyes widened, feeling herself growing cold. The feeling of nothingness slowly surrounding her. Her hand shot out and held Ava’s arm. Ava’s eyes searched her face, noticing the slow darkness spreading from her irises.

    “John!” Ava screamed, her arm wrapped around Sara’s waist as she slowly pulled Sara towards the porch and the demonologist.

As soon as they stepped onto the front porch, Sara collapsed, her knees buckling. A scream ripped from her throat, and her fingers clenched hard against the wood.

    “John Constantine we meet again,” Malice’s voice boomed from around them.

Everyone winced, his voice seemed to echo around the homestead. Ava knelt down next to Sara who was wincing her breath hissing from between her lips. Darkness settled over the homestead. The sun that had been there only moments before disappearing behind looming dark clouds. Nicole took a step closer to Waverly, wrapping her arms around her as the temperature dropped, their breath coming out in billowing clouds. Sara shivered under Ava’s fingers, and she moved to wrap her arms around her holding her close.

A scream ripped through the air when Sara snuggled closer into Ava’s arms. John began mumbling an incantation under his breath, his eyes glowing orange, tendrils of fire licked along his fingers as he continued to chant.

    “Malice. You can’t hide forever. Face me,” John shouted, stepping out into the front yard, his arms out in a challenge.

    Malice laughed, “John Constantine you fool. I’d sooner send you to hell than go myself.”

A strong wind blew through the homestead, an insufferable weight crashed around all of their shoulders bringing them to their knees, except for Wynonna. Her fingers clutched around the smooth metal of Peacemaker at her hip as she stepped out into the yard with Constantine. Malice materialized at the gate to the homestead. His blonde hair whipping in the wind. The vest he was wearing earlier was gone, and he stood before them only in a set of dark leather pants. On the ridge behind him stood a line of other demons. Their red eyes glowing brightly in the darkness.

    “Malice! Hell has been waiting for you,” Constantine spat as he began chanting again.

Rivulets of fire red chains slid from his fingers and across the ground, wrapping themselves around Malice’s ankles. Malice looked down at them, then back up to John as he stepped forward, the chains melting away to nothingness. The demons on the ridge slowly slinked forward. Wynonna pulled Peacemaker from its holster and fired, sending two screaming into hell. John chanted louder, thicker ropes sliding across the ground flickering away into nothingness when they neared Malice’s feet Wynonna continued firing, one by one sending the other demons sinking into hell. Their screams resounding in everyone’s ears. Nicole gritted her teeth against the weight still on her shoulders, trying to stand, her fingers tightening around the gun on her hip. Dolls was doing the same, using the banister to slowly raise himself onto the railing. They both finally broke free of the weight for a moment, firing off a few shots to help Wynonna slow the revenants down. In a flash Malice was in front of them, his hand shot out sending Wynonna flying across the yard, her head hitting the edge of the porch with a sickening thud.

    “Wynonna!” Waverly screamed, fighting against to stand.

She couldn’t, so she slowly crawled down to her sister. Peacemaker began pulsing next to her. Waverly brought her hands up to Wynonna’s head. Her hand coming away bloody when she pulled it away. Malice turned on John, a smile on his lips as his hand clamped around the man’s throat lifting him onto his feet. John’s incantations stopped in his throat as she scrambled to pry the demon’s hand from his throat. The few revenants that remained slowly made their way closer to the homestead. Some of them falling temporarily dead as Nicole and Dolls shot them down. Sara was gasping into Ava’s neck.

    “He’s in my head,” she whimpered, her nails digging into Ava’s arms.

Ava felt the surge of anger rip through her body again. Malice screamed letting go of John, his head whipping towards them on the porch. Ava’s eyes met his for a split second before she raced down the short set of steps and crouched down to lift Peacemaker from the ground. Malice backed away, his eyes fixed on the gun. Ava watched as the runes raced down her arm again, pulsing like the markings on Peacemaker. An eerie calm settled into her body as she turned to Malice.

    “Afraid of this?” Ava asked leveling the gun in the demon’s direction.

    “I would be careful if I were you. I still have a link to her soul. If I die, so does she,” Malice winced backing out of the yard.

    “I don’t believe you,” Ava fired a shot at Malice.

The bullet ripped through his shoulder, blood racing down his arm. Malice pressed his hand to the wound then smiled, nodding towards the porch. Ava turned to see Sara clutching her shoulder, blood pooling underneath her fingers.

    “Believe me now,” Malice laughed as he turned and disappeared over the ridge with the remaining revenants.

As soon as he disappeared the sky returned to normal. The weight lifted from around them and the chill dissipated. Ava raced back to Sara, who was shakily standing to her feet. Her hand was clutched tight to a bullet wound in her shoulder. Ava wrapped her arm around her waist and pressed her hand to the injury as well. Doc was kneeling in front of Wynonna along with Waverly.

    “We’ve been through too much for you to die now Earp,” Doc placed his hand against her cheek, “come on Earp. Let me see those eyes.”

Wynonna remained still, her head slumped against the railing. Tears were streaming down Waverly’s cheek. John stumbled over to them coughing and clutching his throat.

Suddenly, a pulse began to vibrate in the air. The thrum of it vibrating in everyone’s chest. Ava and Sara’s eyes met, both of them smiling the thrum familiar and arriving a moment too soon. Seconds later the jump ship uncloaked just outside of the homestead.

    “What in tarnation?” Doc gasped, his eyes going wide.

    “What the hell?” Nicole gasped.

    “It’s a timeship isnt it’,” Jeremy squealed already making his way across the yard.

    “I’m assuming you recognize that vehicle?” Dolls asked looking to Ava who simply nodded before scooping Sara up into her arms and making her way across the yard.

    “Come on. We have to move quickly. We need to get them to Gideon,” Ava shouted over her shoulder.

Doc lifted Wynonna into his arms and followed behind her. As they approached the jump ship, the door hissed open, and Ray stepped into view waving. His smile fading when he noticed the two women, obviously hurt, being carried towards him. Everyone piled into the ship, a wordless exchange happening between Ray and Ava for a  brief second. He slipped behind the controls and just as quickly as he landed, they raced off back to the Waverider.

The second the jump ship was docked, Ray took Sara from Ava’s arms and raced towards the med bay. Doc followed on his heels, not having time to focus on the hallways full of metal and lights around them. They all followed them to the med bay where Wynonna and Sara were immediately placed in chairs and hooked up to the sensors.

    “Gideon,” Ava said looking up at the ceiling.

    “They will be fine Director Sharpe, although it will be at least an hour before they wake,” the AIs voice said concern in her voice.

    “Thank you, Gideon,” Ava sighed.

She pressed a kiss to Sara’s temple before turning to face the bewildered group staring at the flickering screens around them. Ray cleared his throat and stepped over to the group, his hand extended.

    “Hi. I’m Ray. Welcome to the Waverider. It can be a bit overwhelming at first, but I promise before you know it you won’t get lost on your way to the bathroom,” Ray smiled.

Waverly stepped forward and shook his hand. The doors of the medbay hissed open behind them, and the other Legends stood in the doorway, bewildered by the sight in front of them.

    “I didn’t know we were expecting visitors,” Zari mumbled through a mouthful of popcorn.

    “I need a drink,” Mick grunted before leaving.

    “Holy history. That’s Doc Holliday,” Nate gasped crossing the room and staring at Doc wide-eyed.

    “It’s always nice to meet a…fan,” Doc frowned, moving away from the excited historian.

    “I hate to break up this…whatever this is,” Constantine croaked, “but we need to regroup and figure out how to get rid of Malice once and for all.”

    “I’m not wearing a necklace again,” Mick grunted.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone. I apologize about the delay in posting. I had originally only intended for this fic to last a few chapters, but I am considering turning it into a much larger work. Either way, I hope you stay along for the ride and I hope you enjoyed the update.
> 
> @everythingsbetterwhengay you asked. I delivered.


	7. Iustus pt 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Malice must be defeated once and for all. Will a mysterious healer be the key to his demise?

Ava sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose as she followed behind Ray. Ray suggested they get their new guests some food and then meet in the captain’s office. As they walked Ray gave them a brief tour of the ship, answering all of Jeremy’s excited questions with equal enthusiasm. As they rounded a corner, Waverly’s eyes caught sight of the library and pulled on Nicole’s hand bringing her up short. The rest of the group turned the corner as Wavery slipped inside the room. The doors hissed closed behind them as Waverly ran her fingers over the smooth covers of the leather-bound books. Her eyes were alight in the soft orange light from the sconces around the room. Nicole slid behind her and slipped her arms around her waist. She pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead.

    “What are you looking for?” Nicole asked, her hands trailing to rest on Waverly’s hips.

    “Nothing in particular. I just like books and imagine the books you can find on a timeship. All of these volumes are from all over history. There are even scrolls here,” Waverly smiled, turning in Nicole’s arms and wrapping her arms around Nicole’s neck.

She leaned up to connect their lips in a sweet kiss that slowly deepened. Her fingers tangled into Nicole’s hair, as the other woman’s hands trailed up her back and slowly moved her backward, so her back was against the bookshelf. Waverly moaned into the kiss as Nicole’s tongue licked against her lips asking for entrance. When they pulled apart, Nicole noticed the flicker in Waverly’s eyes.

    “What is it Wave?” Nicole asked, her fingers changing from their seductive caresses to calming circles.

    “Sorry. Just everything with Malice and Wynonna getting hurt…we’ve been lucky before. What if Constantine is right? What if we really can’t do this?” What if someone gets hurt…killed? What if…” Waverly trails off, her eyes unwilling to meet Nicole’s.

Nicole moved her fingers to cup Waverly’s jaw, slowly turning her face to her. She pressed her lips to hers in a ghost of a kiss.

    “You’re worried about me. Aren’t you…” Nicole whispered.

Waverly swallowed hard, her eyes closing unable to meet Nicole’s intense stare.

    “Waves, look at me. I love you, and we have been in worse situations. We’ll make it through this. I know we will,” Nicole pressed another kiss to Waverly’s lips.

This time the kiss deepened, their tongues dueling for dominance, but Waverly giving in to Nicole after a moment, needing to feel the reassurance of her girlfriend’s touch. Nicole’s hands dropped to the hem of her shirt and smoothly tugged the material over her head. The shirt forgotten, she turned them and lifted Waverly into her arms, sitting her down on the desk. She began placing open mouthed kisses along Waverly’s neck, making the woman gasp and tangle her fingers into her hair.

    “Nicole!” Waverly gasped her head falling back into a silent groan.

Nicole’s kisses trailed down to her collarbone, gently biting and sucking, her fingers going to the clasp of Waverly’s bra and undoing it with one hand. The material dropped to the desk as Nicole lowered her lips tugging one nipple into her mouth. She sucked down and lightly flicked her tongue over the slowly hardening nipple. Her other hand played with the other before swapping and giving the same attention to the other breast. Waverly tugged her back up to connect their lips and pop open the buttons of the uniform shirt and slide it over Nicole’s shoulders.

Once the shirt was gone Nicole pressed her back onto the desk and dropped her hands to the button of Waverly’s jeans. Waverly raised her hips to help Nicole pull the material down, discarding it along with her shoes. Nicole slowly worked her way up Waverly’s legs, pressing kisses to the inside of her thighs and licking slowly up the smooth skin. She licked slowly between the juncture between Waverly’s thighs, before pressing a soft kiss to her clit. Waverly’s hips bucked underneath her and she reached up running a soothing hand over the woman’s stomach. Another kiss to her clit that turned into a slow lick from her entrance back up to her clit before sucking down. Still sucking Nicole began to flick her tongue, slowly teasing her girlfriend towards her release. Her licks got a little harder as she felt the wetness growing on her chin. Her tongue changed its pattern moving from side to side, and Waverly’s hips bucked again.

    “Ahh, like that,” Waverly hissed, the sound turning into a moan that Nicole wanted to duplicate again.

She groaned at the taste of her on her lips as her thighs began to quiver around her head. Nicole wrapped her arms around Waverly’s thighs as she continued bringing her past her peak and back down again. Waverly’s fingers fisted into the papers on the desk as she came down from her high. As the last few tremors faded away, Nicole laid her head against Waverly’s thigh and pressed another kiss to her skin.

    “Oh no,” Waverly sat up trying to press the wrinkles out of the paper in her hands.

Nicole sat up and tried to help her, her fingers freezing as she read the page in her hand. Waverly slid closer on the desk to look at the page, her eyes going wide as well. She dropped onto the floor and tugged on her clothes before racing through the halls of the Waverider to find the others.

Meanwhile, Sara’s eyes flickered open to the lights of the medbay. She groaned as she sat up and pulled the cuff from her wrist, slowly rolling her shoulder. As she stood, she heard the dark-haired woman shift on the bed next to her. She paused, knowing that the first time waking up in the medbay could be unsettling. Wynonna launched up from the bed gasping for breath, her eyes darting frantically over the instruments. Sara grabbed her shoulder, the woman’s head whipping towards her, eyes still frantic.

    “Hey. You’re okay. You’re on the Waverider, you’re safe,” Sara reassured.

    “What the hell is this place?” Wynonna swallowed trying to calm her breathing.

    “It’s a timeship. It’s a long story, better had over a drink?” Sara offered.

Wynonna nodded, her fingers going to her hair, surprise showing on her face as they came away clean and she didn’t feel any stitches.

    “I’m very good at what I do, Ms. Earp,” Gideon’s voice cut through the silence.

    “Like I said…long story. How about we get that drink?” Sara extended her hand and helped Wynonna stand as they made their way to the galley.

When they entered the room, Mick was sitting at the table, his feet up on the table nursing a beer. Sara walked over pushing his feet off the table and snagging two beers from the case on the table and sitting down with Wynonna.

    “Thanks,” Wynonna nodded before turning the beer up and chugging it down in one go.

    “Now that’s my kind of woman,” Mick grunted passing Wynonna another beer.

    “Man of few words. I can appreciate that” Wynonna tipped the beer to Mick taking a small sip of the new beer.

Voices drifted towards them, the rest of their group coming into view seconds later led by Ray.

    “This is the galley, where we have meals and…” Ray smiled.

    “Sara,” Ava gasped, crossing the floor quickly and leaning down to kiss her hard.

Ava’s eyes searched Sara’s like they always did when Sara was hurt. She knew that the smaller blonde was strong and sometimes pretended to be okay when she wasn’t. Sara knew the look and wrapped her hand around Ava’s forearm, pressing slightly to let her know she was truly okay.

    “We were going to meet up on the bridge,” Ray chirped, pointing over his shoulder.

    “We found something. In the library!” Waverly shouted holding the paper above her head, her other hands linked with Nicole’s.

She passed the paper to Nate who was holding out his hand. His eyes darted over the page, brow furrowing as for a moment.

    “I don’t understand. It's just about some guy Iustus who lived in Seattle in 2020. He was suspected to have magical powers, but nothing ever came of it,” Nate explained, handing the paper to Ray.

    “Yes, but according to this document he had the power to heal. He was a doctor and performed more successful surgeries that were deemed impossible in medical history,” Waverly smiled.

Everyone looked at her confused for a moment before Nicole spoke up.

    “What if this Iustus guy is the key to finding out how to cross streams. He has the power to heal, a gift that is given to the righteous according to this book,” Nicole said pulling a thin book from behind her back, “I think it’s enough to at least talk to him.”

    “Officer Haught is right. We’re in over our heads. If this guy can give us some answers its worth a shot,” Dolls piped up.

    “Fine. Gideon, plot a course for Seattle 2020,” Sara said finishing off her beer and standing.

    “Right away, captain,” Gideon answered.

Sara led the way to the bridge with everyone on her heels, Ava’s fingers tracing absent-minded circles on the back of her hand. Ray and Jeremy were chatting excitedly about the modifications Ray was making to the shrink ray. Zari, Wynonna, and Mick were sharing a beer and donuts as they walked. Doc was staring with uncertainty at the lights flickering around him.

When they reached the bridge, Constantine was already there, buckled into his seat and taking a long drink from the bottle in his hand.

    “Seattle 2020. Talk to some magic guy. Yeah, I got the message. I think it’s a waste of bloody time, but when have you lot ever listened to me,” he quipped, tucking the flask back into his jacket.

Once everyone was strapped in Sara slid into the captain’s chair and smiled, rolling her shoulders as she took the controls.

    “Hold on tight. Time traveling for the first time can be…hell,” she smiled.

    “Not your best work, babe,” Ava laughed.

    “I for one thought it was a rather thought-provoking quip!” Doc screamed as the Waverider shot forward and time jumped.

Sara eased off the throttle as the Waverider exited the temporal zone into a drizzly Seattle sky. Rain pattered softly against the metal as she cloaked the ship and headed out of the city to their destination.

    “That was great!” Waverly shouted, clamping her hand over mouth seconds later, her eyes wide at her heavily Irish accented voice.

    “Waves, are you feeling okay?” Nicole frowned.

    “Just a side effect of time travel. It will wear off in a few minutes,” Ava explained, standing and stretching.

    “Couldn’t we have used your courier?” Dolls asked, groaning and fighting nausea bubbling up in his gut.

    “Yes, but until we know what we’re dealing with, I would like to keep The Bureau out of it.”

Jeremy vomited over the floor, then dry heaved.

   “Come on man. Someone has to clean that up now,” Zari groaned.

   “Sorry,” Jeremy said wiping his mouth on his sleeve, then looking at it in disgust.

   “I can’t see,” Doc shouted, blinking rapidly.

   “It wears off in a few,” Zari explained.

   “Z. You and Ray stay here and take care of our guests. The rest of you with me,” Sara ordered.

Dolls nodded and followed Sara off of the bridge. The Legends followed behind them, leaving Jeremy and Doc sitting wide-eyed in their seats still. Zari reached to help Jeremy stand, but he lurched forward throwing up again.

    “On my shoes, really,” Zari rolled her eyes.

    “Sorry. Sorry,” Jeremy groaned.

When Ray went to help Doc, Doc swatted his hand away and shoved at him blindly.

    “Hands off me. I don’t need your help,” Doc spat.

    “I just want to help Mr. Holliday sir. Time jumps can cause…” Ray began as Doc brushed past him then fell flat on his face, “vertigo.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> On Holiday break until the 7th of January. I plan on spending a good bit of time on my fics. Thank you all for your continued support and your amazing feedback. 
> 
> Special thanks to my love @everythingsbetterwhengay for helping me figure out some of the plot points


	8. Iustus pt2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A mysterious doctor. Will he hold the answers they seek?

Cars whizzed by, splashing water up on the sidewalk as they slowly made their way to the apartment building Gideon found for Dr. Iustus Cole. Ava’s grip tightened on Sara’s fingers as they finally arrived at their destination. It could very well have been Ava’s apartment back in D.C. The building towered above them, thin vines wrapped elegantly around the eaves. The once pristine white paint was stained with age and watermarks. Despite it being midday only one apartment had their curtains open allowing the grey sky to shine through. The group stopped on the sidewalk, sneaking glances up at the third story window.

    “We’ll stay down here, Wynonna, you and Ava should go up alone,” Dolls suggested.

    “I’ll go with them,” Waverly offered, rolling her eyes at Wynnona, “you can be a bit abrasive when you want information.”

    “Fair,” Wynonna shrugged.

Sara tugged Ava’s hand, bringing the taller blonde up short.

    “I can go with you if you want,” Sara offered, the relief that shone in Ava’s eyes showed that she wanted to ask but was hesitant to do so.

    “Yeah. If you want,” Ava smiled.

The four of them headed up the steps as the rest of the group spread out to keep watch. The comms chirped in their ears, and Nate’s voice crackled through.

    “Apartment 3103,” Nate said, leaning against a tree and watching the silhouette of the four women against the curtains of the main walkway, “be careful.”

Wynonna strode up to the door and banged on it with her fists, earning her an eye roll from the other women.

    “What?” she shrugged, “Dr. Iustus, you home?”

Silence met them on the other side of the door, followed by the slow shuffle of feet and a bolt being slid from its hold. Wynonna took a step back as the door opened and a huge black lab bounded out of the door and scampered between Sara’s feet nearly knocking her over.

    “Cerberus, get back here,” a gruff voice sounded from the apartment, followed by a deep round of coughing.

A broad-shouldered man wearing a dark blue robe stood at the door, the dog ducking back into the apartment, its tag jingling around its neck. The man stared at the four women, his eyes darting from one to the other with indifference, combing a hand through his dusty blonde hair. After a moment, he sighed and tugged the robe tighter.

    “Can I help you ladies with something?” he asked, clearing his throat again.

    “Are you Dr. Iustus Cole?” Waverly asked smiling, her voice seeming to dissipate the tense atmosphere.

    “Yes…and you are?”

    “I’m Waverly Earp. I work for a medical consultation firm in the area. I was hoping to speak with you about your feats in the operating room.”

    “It’s called paying attention in medical school sweetheart,” he frowned taking in the other women’s appearances, “who are they?”

    “Friends of mine from the firm. May we come in?”

    “I don’t think that’s a good…” he paused when he caught Ava’s eyes again, “sure.”

He took a step to the side, letting the four of them in. The apartment was tastefully decorated. He motioned for them to sit, the four of them moving to sit on the couches and chairs.

    “Tea?” he asked, walking into the small kitchen.

The lab from earlier bounded its way into the living room and sat down at Ava’s feet. She reached out to scratch his between his ears, his tongue lolled out of his mouth as he nuzzled closer into her touch. The tag jingled again, and she reached down to look at the small silver tag hanging from the dog’s collar. Her fingers grazed along the smooth material, the cold of the metal leeching into her fingers and racing up her arm.

Suddenly, Ava found herself back in the Viking camp. She watched herself step through the portal onto the soggy ground and reach through the rip in time, yanking Sara back through.

    “You came back,” Sara panted.

    “It’s like you said. You needed me,” past Ava wiped her hair out of her face.

Ava looked around taking in the scene before her. The other Legends staring at the scene. Sara’s surprise. Her eyes settle on a figure hidden behind one of the low tents. His dusty blonde hair a stark contrast to the muddy scene around him. Just as Ava took a step forward, she was ripped back to the present. The other women were chatting quietly; the man was in the kitchen pouring a cup of tea. He looked up a small smile playing on his face. The dog scampered away into a back room as the man sat down across from Ava.

    “What just happened?” Ava asked, frowning, her fingers curling into fists.

    “You accessed a memory Ms. Sharpe,” Iustus smiled taking a sip of his tea.

    “You were there. The day I pulled Sara from the void. Who are you?”

Ava was standing now, her hands in fists at her side. Her memories had been manipulated before by Rip, she wasn’t going to let the same happen again.

    “But I’m abrasive,” Wynonna scoffed.

    “Ava,” Sara stood next to her placing a hand on her forearm.

Gasps raced through the room as blue runes began to spread across Ava’s skin at Sara’s touch. The lines were similar to the ones on Peacemaker. The gun started to pulse on Wynonna’s side.

    “I see I choose wisely,” Iustus laughed, clapping his hands together.

    “What? What is happening? What do you mean you chose?” Ava couldn’t focus, her eyes flitting from the man to her skin and back.

    “I chose to bless you,” he smiled.

Ava closed her eyes and took in a slow shuddering breath. When she focused, she could feel the coolness of the runes along her skin, but there was heat under the surface. She could sense Peacemaker, the gun seemed to be reaching out towards her, asking to be fired.

Sara. She had to focus on Sara. Sara. She opened her eyes to look into Sara’s concerned blues and breathed out. The runes disappeared and along with it the strange coolness.

    “Who are you?” Ava asked, her voice even again.

    “I go by many names. Dr. Cole, Mr. I, I money,” he laughed.

    “No one calls you I money,” Wynonna rolled her eyes.

    “No, they don’t,” he cleared his throat, and set his mug down with a soft clink, “to most I am known as Iustus, the righteous.”

    “Iustus the righteous? Like a saint?” Waverly asked enraptured.

    “Not exactly,” he shrugged off his robe and rolled his shoulders, a pair of brilliant white wings sprung from his back, “more like an angel.”

    “Holy shit! I mean…holy shit!” Wynonna stared wide-eyed.

Sara felt a pain race along her skin, her eyes burning when she looked at the man. Ava suddenly felt warm again, the warmth racing along her skin and into the veins. Waverly was simply staring at the man, eyes wide in shock.

    “Invite your friends up. It’s one hell of a story,” he laughed, “all puns intended.”


	9. Angels and Demons

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What story will Iustus tell and how will it help defeat Malice?

A few minutes later everyone was gathered in the living room of Iustus’s apartment. The man was casually leaning against his countertop watching the group before him. They all were staring over cups of tea at the wings still extended from his back.

    “So…you’re an angel,” Nate nodded, pointing to the wings.

    “No. Demon, I ripped these from an angel’s back at their dying breath,” Iustus rolled his eyes.

    “I thought angels were supposed to be nice.”

    “Mr. Cole…Iustus…you said you had a story to tell us,” Waverly prompted.

    “Right. My name is Iustus, I am the son of Gabriel. I was sent here many years ago to fight the demon you know as Malice,” Iustus began, sitting down across from Ava.

    “Wait. Son of Gabriel? Angels can have babies?” Wynonna frowned, Waverly, shot her a look, “like you knew that.”

Iustus shook his head before continuing.

    “I was sent to Zambesi to assist the totem bearers in banishing the demon to hell for good, but when the bearer of the death totem didn’t help, Malice was only partially banished. Because I failed my mission, I was forced to stay here on earth until he is gone for good.”

    “What was your role in defeating Malice?” Waverly asked.

    “I was given a sword. Crafted in the forges of Eden. The sword can only be wielded by someone who is righteous. It holds the power of the final judgment.”

    “Sweet. So we find the sword. I shoot Malice, you slice him up, and he’s gone,” Wynonna dusted her hands together.

    “The books said that righteousness and chaos must come together to defeat him,” Waverly frowned confused.

Sara looked over to Ava. The taller blonde was staring down at her hands, her fingers trembling slightly. Sara slid her hand into Ava’s and squeezed, making the woman look up at her. Dark eyes met hers, tears prickling at the edges.

    “Come here,” Sara stood pulling Ava behind her as Iustus continued talking to the others.

She pulled Ava down the hallway and out of sight of the others. As soon as they were out of the living room, Ava took a shuddering breath, a tear slipping down her cheek. Sara cupped her cheeks in her hands, thumbs brushing over the tracks marring the woman’s cheek. When Ava looked up, Sara’s heart clenched in her chest. There was so much pain and uncertainty written in her eyes, and Sara knew there wasn’t much she could do to relieve it.

    “Talk to me Aves,” Sara whispered, pressing a kiss to her cheek.

    “I’m…I’m scared,” Ava whispered, “Malice is connected to you, and I can’t hurt him without hurting you.”

    “We’ll figure it out. Trust me.”

    “What if we can’t? What if we can’t stop him?”

    “Doubt,” Iustus’s voice skittered down the hallway, “the others. They couldn’t feel doubt.”

    “Wait…you know I’m a” Ava began.

    “Clone? Of course. I watched you for some time, Ms. Sharpe. You are different,” Iustus passed them in the hallway and beckoned for them to follow.

He leads them down the short hallway to a doorway with a golden handle. The handle shone brightly as they approached, slowly opening as they stepped fully in front of it. Ava followed Iustus through the door, but it slammed shut when Sara tried to walk through. Ava spun, her body immediately sinking into a defensive position.

    “It senses Malice’s hold on her is all. I simply want to show you something,” Iustus spoke over his shoulder as he pressed a button to pull up a series of screens.

Blue light from the screens flickered in Ava’s eyes as she relaxed, a gasp falling from her lips as her face filled the various monitors. She took a small step closer to the screens, her eyes were drawn to one in particular. Her own eyes were staring back but focused down the barrel of a gun, hatred shining in them.

    “The second Ava was very focused, calculating, efficient,” Iustus explained, pointing to another screen where another Ava sat annoyed amongst other agents at a bar.

Ava’s eyes scanned the screens. Each image of the Ava’s bore the same stoic facial expression. Their eyes were cold and dark, always calculating, until her eyes found the final screen. On it, she was smiling with Sara in that ridiculous Viking get up. Her eyes were slightly hazy from the liquor they had been drinking, but there was definite joy hidden among the grey-blue eyes staring back at her.

    “What makes me so different?” Ava asked.

    “The other Ava’s stuck to their programming. They were perfect agents and sacrificed themselves when the need arose, but you overcame your programming. You didn’t even recognize it at first,” Iustus pulled up a screen showing Sara and Ava fighting next to each other against Caesar’s men, “you were able to see past your programming, and even though you wouldn’t admit it, the Legends earned your respect that day. Sara began to earn your trust.”

Ava watched as Sara linked her bo staffs with the chains around her wrist and they moved together with ease. The faint sparkle in both of their eyes as they fought alongside each other.

    “You broke protocol for her. You went back for her,” Iustus pulled up the video from Vinland.

    “She needed me,” Ava said merely.

    “You loved her.”

Ava watched her on-screen step through the portal and reach without hesitation through the void, pulling Sara back onto the muddy ground. For just a moment, she saw a hint of blue race up her arm before fading just as quickly.

    “I blessed you that day. Your love being able to overcome programming so deeply ingrained within you proved everything I needed to know.”

    “I don’t understand. How do I stop Malice without killing Sara? How do I mix the streams? How?” Ava stammered.

    “I can’t answer all of those for you, but I can give you this,” Iustus pressed his hand to a small hatch on the wall.

It glowed for a moment before a panel above it slid open to reveal a silver dagger. He took it from the safe and handed it to Ava. Blue runes raced down the knife’s blade and along Ava’s wrists. It pulsed blue, an eerie calm pulsed through the veins for a moment before she slid the knife into the sheath Iustus was holding out to her.

    “Trust yourself, Ava. Waverly mentioned the fear in Malice’s eyes. He knows that you will be the end of him.”

    “What about Sara? Malice wants her soul. He’s connected to her. If I kill him, I could kill her.”

    “Unfortunately you may have to choose.”

    “What?” Ava spat her hands curling into fists at her sides, “you chose me because of my ability to love her and now you’re telling me to kill her.”

    “Sometimes loving someone means letting them go.”

Fire raced through Ava’s veins at his words. The unfairness of the situation burned in her mind. Sara had been through so much already. She had died before. Been resurrected. Possessed. She didn’t deserve this. Ava shoved the door open and stalked into the hallway with Sara on her heels.

    “Ava wait,” Sara shouted as she followed her back into the living room.

Everyone’s head whipped around to the couple as they entered, their eyes going wide. Sara stopped short as rivulets of orange raced across her arms. Ava’s eyes were closed as she was pulled into fueling the angry boiling in her chest. Sara pressed her hand to Ava’s arm, and Ava’s eyes opened. The usually steel-blue eyes were bright orange and distant. Sara pressed her hand to Ava’s cheek, a gasp racing past her lips. The familiar cold chill of Malice’s dimension enveloped her, her hand going to her head as she fell to her knees at Malice’s booming voice.

    “Sara Lance. I will have your soul. You can give it to me willingly and save her all this pain. Save all of them from all the pain I will cause. She sees the light in you. A willingness to do what’s right. Are you calling her a liar?” Malice teased.

    “Stop it. You don’t know me,” Sara hissed.

    “But I do Sara. I know exactly who you are. You try to be good. You try to hold on to that flicker of light that used to exist inside of you, but you know just as I do that all that is inside you now is darkness. The sooner you accept it, the better.”

    “There’s light even in darkness.”

    “Really…then prove me wrong. Give me your soul and all their suffering ends. Give me…”

    “Stay away from her!” Ava’s voice cut through the vast emptiness.

Sara’s eyes bolted open to see Ava standing in front of her. A bright blue blade in her hand, the bright orange in her eyes traded for an intense blue. A scream cut through the void. Ava dropped to her knees in front of Sara and pressed a kiss to her forehead.

Sara felt the void disappear and the cool feel of hardwood floors under her knees again. Her eyes flickered open to Ava. Ava was gripping the same knife from before, the runes and shimmering light faded away. They took each other's hands and stood, their foreheads still pressed together.

    “We need to get back to Purgatory,” Nate cleared his throat, “Gideon said there is a major disturbance in the timeline there.”

With a final hug and a nod to Iustus, they all departed the apartment and made their way back to the Waverider.

When they arrived, Doc and Jeremy were staring up into a video feed of the streets of Purgatory. As everyone approached, Doc stepped in front of Wynonna and Waverly.

    “What are you doing Doc?” Wynonna rolled her eyes, brushing past him.

    “Wynonna wait,” Doc said grabbing hold of her arm hard and spinning her to face him.

    “Dad?” Waverly’s voice cracked as she stepped closer to the screen.

Wynonna spun, her eyes misting over at the sight of Ward Earp making his way through the streets of Purgatory, his eyes glowing red as he followed behind Malice. Malice turned, smiling as if he knew exactly where to look.

    “Malice turned their dad into a revenant,” Jeremy explained to the confused Legends.


	10. Choices

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Malice is growing stronger. Sometimes drastic times call for drastic measures.

Everyone stood around the center console of the Waverider, their eyes darting back and forth among the group gathered there. Projected in front of them was the video from earlier playing on loop as they tried to figure out how to save Ward Earp, and how Malice was able to turn him in the first place.

    “Okay, tell me the story once more,” Nate said, scribbling furiously in his journal.

    “There are 77 revenants. They all are outlaws killed by Wyatt Earp but resurrected because of the Earp curse.  Wyatt killed Bulshar Clooties’s son, so Bulshar cursed Wyatt and his descendants creating the Earp curse, to begin with,” Waverly explained, as Nicole slowly ran her thumb up and down her side.

    “If the revenants were all initially killed by Wyatt, how did Malice turn Ward?” Nate frowned, staring up at the video.

    “Revenants are basically demons though, right?” Zari mumbled around the donut in her hand.

    “Yeah. Demons that can only be killed by Peacemaker,” Wynonna trailed off playing with the hem of her jacket.

Ava watched the look passing from Waverly to Wynonna. The former made her way to her sister and laid her head against her back. Ava looked towards Doc for answers, but he merely shook his head.

    “I’ll do it,” Ava nodded, her eyes meeting Wynonna’s and Waverly’s.

The two women’s eyes were wet with tears as they nodded. Wynonna pulled Peacemaker from her belt and handed it over to Ava, the gun pulsing orange for just a moment as it touched Ava’s fingertips. A thud resounded around the brig, and everyone spun to watch Constantine scrambling to pick up the book he had just dropped.

    “Possession and demons. Now that’s a party,” he snorted, pointing to the feed that was now frozen on the image of Ward Earp.

    “What do you mean possessed?” Jeremy stammered, his eyes wide.

    “Don’t work yourself up mate, it looks like Malice has been trying his hand at black magic.”

    “Black magic?” Nicole asked, her eyes drifting around the group.

    “Yes, pet. Malice is used black magic to reanimate that man’s body and then possessed him.”

    “If Malice is controlling Ward with black magic, I have a book that could help,” Nate shouted racing down the hallway towards the library.

    “So, he’s like a zombie?” Jeremy gulped.

    “Yes and no,” Ray began, “zombies while reanimated corpses are simply acting on the basic human need to feed. Ward is being controlled.”

    “But his corpse has been reanimated, that sounds like a zombie.”

    “Just shoot him in the head and get it over with,” Mick grunted taking a swig of his beer.

    “How do you stop a possessed body?” Doll asked, his brow furrowed at Constantine who was drinking from the silver flask in his hand.

    “We have to find a way to break Malice’s control on his spirit, then reverse whatever magic he used to reanimate the body.

Sara made her way over to Constantine who was staring intently at Ward on the screen. As she opened her mouth to speak the brig melted away in front of her for a moment and she was once again in Malice’s world. Just as quickly as the brig melted away, it came back seconds later. Her fingers gripped aimlessly at the control panel, and her eyes took a moment to focus. She closed her eyes and took a shuddering breath, the cold from the other world still clung to her skin.

When she opened her eyes, Constantine was staring at her, a knowing expression on his face.

    “You can still save them, Sara,” Malice’s voice resounded in her ears, she winced at the sound, stifling the sound so Ava wouldn’t notice.

    “Sara, are you okay?” Ava asked, pressing a hand to Sara’s tense shoulder.

    “Fine, I’m fine,” Sara smiled at her girlfriend before taking her hand.

    “You can end this now. Join me, Sara,” Malice hissed, “join me and all of this ends.”

    “No,” Sara said through gritted teeth.

    “It’s the only way, Sara. You want to end their pain, this is the only way.”

Ava was staring at the strained expression on Sara’s face as she stared down at her hands. Her chest was heaving as her breath speed up. Ava reached out and touched Sara’s shoulder, and Sara screamed stepping back from her, eyes wide.

    “Sara…” Ava’s voice trembled.

    “I’m fine. John can I talk to you for a minute,” Sara called over her shoulder as she headed down the corridor.

    “Pet,” John saluted Ava mockingly before following behind Sara.

Nate brushed past him on his way back to the brig, brief confusion on his face as he spread out a book in front of everyone. The book was brown and faded, some of the pages were falling from the now loosely bound hide that once held it together. Nate carefully traced his hand along the sheets as he spoke.

    “I think Malice is using a variation of the zombie powder created by a voodoo priestess by the name of Marla von Tosseau. It was believed that her version of the powder could fully reanimate any corpse regardless of how…,” Nate paused, eyes darting to the Earp sisters, “a body was, allowing them to be possessed by a spirit.”

    “It says here that the only way to stop the possessed corpse is by destroying the body,” Dolls read.

    “So, he is a zombie,” Jeremy stated a satisfied smile on his face.

    “Constantine said we have to sever the connection to Malice first. How do we do that?”

Everyone stood silent for a moment, their eyes darting around to each other but everyone was at a loss. Zari frowned and looked back towards the corridor where Sara and Constantine had gone earlier.

    “Gideon…” she started, “where’s Sara and Constantine?”

    “Captain Lance and Mr. Constantine are on the jumpship headed for Purgatory,” Gideon chimed, worry evident in her voice.

Ava’s eyes went wide, her fingers going to her courier before she remembered that it was busted.

    “Zari, get us to Purgatory,” Ava shouted, rushing to sit in her chair and strapping in, Peacemaker pressed against her thigh in the holster there.

    Everyone scrambled into motion, sliding into seats and pulling the bars down over their shoulders. Zari slipped into the captain’s chair and shot off across the temporal zone, coming out above Purgatory just outside the Earp homestead cloaking immediately.

    “I think I’m okay this time,” Jeremy stood quickly, immediately falling afterward onto the cold floor.

Everyone else sprinted past him as Ava raced down the corridor of the Waverider. Ray stopped to help Jeremy up and sit him down in the chair. Jeremy frowned and tried to stand again before slumping against the seat again. Ava could hear the footfalls of the others racing behind her, close on her heels.

    “Ava, what is going on?” Waverly shouted, catching up to her.

    “Sara. I’m worried. Something feels wrong,” Ava said as he reached the cargo bay and raced through the bay doors that Gideon had already opened for her.

When she stepped out onto the field, she noticed the chill first. The sun was out and bright, but there was a chill looming in the air, bearing down on them from all sides. Her breath billowed out in front of her as she took a step further, her feet carrying her towards the ridge where the jumpship was parked. Her boots crunched against the frozen ground as she made her way closer. With each passing step, the sinking feeling in her chest increased, crushing and heavy, making it hard to breathe. Almost on instinct, her fingers reached for Peacemaker, the metal turning warm at her touch and helping her breathe.

When she reached the jumpship, she slowly slunk around the side, coming up short when she saw Constantine squatting at the edge of the ridge, looking out at the flat space below. He held up a hand for her to be quiet, but her eyes were focused on the figures below. Malice and Sara were standing a few feet apart with Ward next to him. Revenants flanked Malice on all sides, their eyes glowing in the darkness that had slowly crept over the land. The others joined Ava as she stood trembling, her hand on Peacemaker ready to fire.

    “What is she doing?” Ava asked, even though she knew the answer.

    “The only way to free Ward is to sever Malice’s tie,” Constantine said simply, “sorry pet, but Sara says that it’s the only way.”

Ava raced down the ridge towards Sara, a scream ripping from her throat as Malice took a step closer to Sara, a sickly grin on his face. She pulled Peacemaker from its holster, the metal glowing bright orange. Tears streamed down Ava’s face as she came to a stop at the bottom of the ridge, her eyes fixed on Malice and Ward. The others were making their way down the ridge to join her, shooting and knocking the other revenants unconscious who had moved towards her as she came closer. Her finger trembled on the trigger as she gritted her teeth and watched as the glow in Ward’s eyes faded to grey.

    “Sara. Sara what did you do,” Ava gasped, noticing the silver strands of hair slowly making their way down Sara’s back.

Sara slowly turned, one eye was completely dark, the other still held a small amount of blue, but darkness spilled across the iris like ink. Tears were shining in the smaller blonde’s eyes.

    “I’m sorry,” Sara whispered as the darkness consumed her, her eyes going dark and her skin paling.

The orange runes began to race down her arm, twisting and wrapping around Peacemaker. At the same time the blue runes spilled up her other arm, the knife on her hip pulsing blue as Peacemaker twitched and on its own volition shifted to Sara. Ava forced it back to Malice. Malice’s laughter pounded in her ears as he stepped closer and placed a hand on Sara’s shoulder.

    “I told you I would have her,” Malice smirked.

    “Go to hell,” Ava spat as she pulled the trigger, staining Malice’s hair red with blood.

His body fell to the ground at Sara’s feet, a deep cackle building in the woman’s throat as she nudged the body with her foot.

    “You fool. I don’t need that shell of a body anymore. I have her,” Malice sneered, before switching the voice to Sara’s, “Aves, please.”

Ava stammered for a moment, taken aback by the sound of Sara’s voice. Her free hand went to the hilt of the knife given to her by Iustus.

    “Sara. I know you’re in there. Fight it, please. Come home to me,” Ava cried, tears streaming down her face.

    “She’s gone pet,” Constantine’s voice broke through the silence that settled around them.

Sara turned her back to the group and vanished in a flash, the remaining revenants with her. The chill lifted from the air, but Ward Earp still stood in front of them motionless and eyes grey, unseeing. Doc wrapped his arms around Wynonna and Nicole did the same for Waverly. Ava sucked in a shuddering breath before lifting Peacemaker again, the gun began to glow blue, and the runes raced down her arm once more as she fired. The bullet struck Ward between the eyes, his body slowly falling away and being carried off by the wind. They all turned and began making their way back up the ridge. Constantine reached out grabbing Ava by the arm, the taller blonde spun her eyes blazing.

    “You did this. You knew what she was planning to do,” Ava spat.

    “Sara volunteered. She said Malice was in her head and he told her this was the only way that she could save us all,” Constantine fired back.

    “Save us,” Ava shoved him hard, sending him stumbling backward, “save us! What about Sara. Who’s going to save her. You said it yourself, if Malice possessed her again there would be no bringing her back.”

Ava leveled the gun at Constantine, her hand steady. Zari’s hand closed around Ava’s shoulder, pulling her back from where she had advanced on Constantine. Her eyes met the taller blonde’s unshed tears playing at the edges. Ava lowered the gun and let Zari lead her back up the ridge, scrubbing at the angry tears racing down her cheeks. From behind them, a single shot rang out, all of them turning towards the sound. Mick was standing over Malice’s old body, a gun smoking in his hand.

    “What? Always double tap,” he said simply before beginning to make his way up the bank.

When they arrived back at the Waverider, Jeremy and Ray were leaning against the console of the brig, excitedly tapping at something on the screen. They turned excited to everyone, smiles on their faces.

    “We figured out how to merge the knife and Peacemaker,” Ray chirped, high fiving Jeremy, “where’s Sara?”

    “Ms. Lance has been possessed by Malice I’m afraid,” Doc sighed, taking off his hat while keeping an arm around Wynonna.

    “So, we defeat Malice and save Sara. If we melt the knife down into bullets, when Ava fires Peacemaker the streams will automatically cross and bye bye demon,” Jeremy smiled.

    “No,” Ava whispered, turning and making her way down the corridor towards Sara’s room.

    “No? What does she mean no.”

    “Malice is in Sara’s body. If she kills him now, she sends Sara to hell with him,” Zari explained.

The group stood in silence for a moment before separating. The Earps made their way back to their homestead while the Legends stayed on the Waverider. Ava lay in Sara’s bed staring up at the ceiling, the pillow clutched to her chest smelled faintly of her girlfriend, the case stained dark with her tears. She fell into a restless sleep, but her eyes flickered open minutes later. Instead of the Waverider, she was once again in Malice’s world. In the middle of the sand covered expanse was Sara on her knees, her body wrapped in chains holding her fast to the ground. Ava raced over to her and began tugging at the chains, but with every pull, the chains grew tighter. She lifted Sara’s chin, but the eyes staring back were grey and unseeing like Ward’s had been.

    “Sara, please. Babe come back to me. Fight this. You can fight him,” Ava pleaded.

    “Ava,” Sara mumbled.

    “Yes. It’s me. I’m here, and I need you to come back to me. Fight him.”

    “Tired.”

    “I know, but you’re stronger than him. Stronger than this. Please, Sara.”

The world began to slowly fade from Ava’s vision, her mind scrambling to stay with Sara, to stay in this world until she could free her. Ava’s eyes flew open to the dim lights of Sara’s room on the Waverider. She drew a shuddering breath before throwing back the thin blanket over her waist and making her way to the lab. There had to be a way.

 


	11. Sacrifices

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Back at the Earp homestead, everyone is still reeling from Sara's sacrifice. Where do they go from here?

Waverly stretched, the muscles tensing then releasing as they went over her head. A soft breeze blew over the homestead, sending up a small wave of dust across the yard. She leaned back against the steps, her eyes scanning along the bank in front of her where the jumpship had sat not long ago. Her mind drifted back to the ridge, the blank expression on Sara’s face, and the pain in Ava’s eyes. Suddenly a beer materialized in front of her face, she looked up into the face of her sister.

    “I figured you could use a drink. I sure as hell needed one,” Wynonna sat down on the step with her, drinking heavily from her own beer.

They sat in silence for a moment, before Wynonna cleared her throat.

    “This is all crazy right. I know we deal with demons daily, but time travel, angels, it's crazy right?” Wynonna looked over at her sister who was still staring out at the homestead, her beer untouched.

    “Yeah. It’s crazy,” Waverly sighed lifting the beer to her lips and taking a small sip.

Wynonna leaned over and laid her head on Waverly’s shoulder. She closed her eyes, focusing on the breeze racing across the land. Waverly sighed again taking a deeper swallow of the beer. The cold liquid cooled the burning in her throat, but it wasn’t enough to stop the tears from racing down her cheeks moments later.

    “Hey. Hey,” Wynonna sat up and took Waverly’s face in her hands, before pulling her into a hug, the beers forgotten on the porch.

    “I’m sorry. I just kept thinking that could have easily been you, or Nicole,” Waverly gasped out.

    “No. Look at me. We’ll figure it out. Together. Malice is a demon like all the others.”

    “He’s not. He’s dangerous, and now he has Sara and to kill him Ava has to kill her. I feel like I failed her. They came to us for help, and I failed them.”

    “Some battles aren’t ours to fight baby girl.”

    “She’s family Wynonna, how can you say that?”

    “Because you said it yourself. It could have easily have been one of us. I’m glad it wasn’t.”

Waverly shook her head and stood abruptly, storming back into the homestead and leaving Wynonna alone on the porch. Wynonna shook her head and finished off her beer and the one she had brought for Waverly. She huffed, Waverly’s words racing through her mind as the sun slowly began to sink over the ridge. Her mind drifted back to the feel of the blanket in her arms that held her little girl only months prior. The eyes shining back at her as she kissed her goodbye. The little girl had grown up to be such an influence that someone had wanted to clone her DNA. Her little girl. The one she had to give away to give her a chance at a real life. She blinked back the wash of tears that spilled into her vision at the thought of the sacrifice she had made. Sure she had given Lance shit since she arrived, but the woman had made the ultimate sacrifice to try and save all of them. People the miniature blonde barely knew. A town that no one cared about but the inhabitants and mystics hoping to see a demon. Sara had given up herself to a demon for them, it seemed ungrateful to be sad about it. At least that’s what she told herself. The truth was she knew that Waverly was right and it could have just as easily been her under Malice’s control. She shook away the thought, finished the beer and headed out to the barn to look for Doc.

In the homestead, Waverly made her way through the house in search of Nicole. As she rounded a corner, she saw her girlfriend gently cleaning a cut on her cheek. She leaned against the doorway for a second watching the redhead's focused expression as she placed a small bandage on the cut and put away the first aid kit. Taking that as her cue, Waverly crossed the room and stepped in front of Nicole, her fingers tracing over the fresh bandage.

    “Hey,” Waverly whispered, pressing a kiss to her cheek.

    “Hey, Waves,” Nicole smiled, kissing her gently, “is everything okay. Wynonna was looking for you earlier.”

Waverly swallowed hard past the lump in her throat before connecting their lips in a hard kiss. Nicole’s hands moved to her hips as she gently eased Waverly back. Her breath came out in a slow hiss, heat flooding through her veins, but she knew something was wrong. Waverly refused to meet her eyes only confirming what Nicole already knew.

    “What’s wrong, Waves?” Nicole whispered wrapping her arms around her girlfriend and pressing a kiss to her forehead.

    “I’m…I’m afraid. For the first time in a long time I’m afraid,” Waverly lifted her head to look at Nicole, “what if we can’t stop him?”

    “We will. We’ve faced worse,” Nicole brushed tears from her cheeks.

    “How can you say that?”

    “Because I believe in you and I know that you are capable of anything. Wynonna may wield Peacemaker, but you are just as important. Even more so, let’s be honest you got her out of some sticky situations.”

Waverly chuckled and tucked her head under Nicole’s chin as Nicole rubbed circles along her back. Her mind drifted back to their previous encounters with demons and other magical deities. Every one of them eventually meeting their fiery end by means of Peacemaker. Malice would be no different she vowed. Every one of the beings had a goal of some kind, so far Malice only wanted Sara’s soul, but why?

    “Why?” Waverly whispered.

    “Why what?” Nicole frowned.

    “Why Sara? Nicole was right, Malice could have possessed any of us. We’ve all seen and been the cause of death. Why Sara?”

    “Ava mentioned that Sara had died before.”

    “So has Wynonna technically…we need to get in touch with the Waverider.”

Waverly turned on her heel to make her way out of the room, but Nicole caught her arm, spinning her to press a deep kiss to her lips.

    “We got this,” Nicole smiled before following her out of the room.


	12. Truth Pt1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ava is on a mission to save Sara's soul, but first, she has to find out more about the demon that's holding her captive.

Ray stepped into the lab on the Waverider, mixing the scoop of butter into the cup of coffee in his hand humming to himself when he noticed Ava passed out at the lab table. The knife given to her by Iustus and a book lay stretched out in front of her. Her hair fell around her face in a tangled mess as she snored lightly. As he approached, her face contorted a mumbled cry of Sara’s name tumbled from her lips.

    “Ava,” Ray said gently, tentatively reaching out to touch her shoulder, he had learned from encounters with Sara that waking someone from a nightmare took a delicate touch.

Just as his hand touched Ava’s shoulder, the taller blonde shot up straight in the chair, the knife instantly in her hand and at Ray’s throat. Her eyes were wild only for a second before settling and moving the blade away to rest on the table once more.

    “Sorry, Ray,” she sighed, running a hand through her hair to untangle some of the knots.

    “It’s okay. No harm done. Coffee?” Ray smiled, offering the cup.

    “No thanks. Gary can’t get me to drink buttered coffee, neither can you.”

    “Oh. Ok. What were you doing in here?” Ray asked, his eyes settling on the book on the table.

The book was open to a page on the forge in the Garden of Eden. According to the weathered text, the forge was used to create a single weapon for each angel, only the angel and those blessed by them can wield the weapon. The knife given to Iustus was unique because it was not just a weapon to destroy cursed ones (demons), but could also save the unjustly sentenced.

    “I was trying to find a way to save Sara,” Ava sighed, tracing her finger over the knife, small sparks of blue skittered down the hilt.

    “We’ll find a way. Promise,” Ray gently touched her shoulder forcing her to meet his eyes.

    “Thanks, Ray,” Ava stood, stretching her arms over her head with a satisfying pop.

The smell of Ray’s coffee reached her nose; the slightly buttery smell made her think of toast, her stomach growled moments later. She excused herself, slipping the knife into its sheath on her thigh and heading towards the galley.

When she stepped into the galley, she was met with the sight of Zari singing and making a sandwich. The dark-haired woman spun on her heel, coming up short when she noticed Ava standing there.

    “Ava…hey,” Zari shrugged, trying to lean against the countertop casually.

    “Hey, Zari,” Ava said, sitting down on one of the stools and plucking an apple from the bowl on the counter.

The two women fell into a comfortable silence as Zari finished making the sandwich. Ava fiddled with the French toast on her plate. Her mind drifting back to the first time she had Gideon’s French toast. It was the night after her and Sara’s first time. The lazy glow of that morning’s makeout session still clinging to her skin as she smiled into her cup of coffee at the smaller blonde smiling back at her. It seemed wrong to be on the Waverider without its fearless captain. The hallways seemed lifeless and cold without the warmth of Sara at her side or the anticipation of figuring out where the blonde was tucked away at the moment. Ava smiled, the memories of finding her stretched across boxes in the cargo bay on several occasions came back to her. She could almost hear Sara’s explanation that the organization of the cargo bay helped her organize her thoughts. Ava knew that Sara compartmentalized, tucked emotions and memories away in neat boxes when they were too hard to handle. She had slowly begun to unpack those boxes in late night convos with Sara tucked into her arms, her fingers ready to brush away the tears that fell down freckled cheeks.

    “I was talking to you hotpants,” Mick grunted again, pulling Ava out of her thoughts.    

    “What?” Ava dropped the fork onto the dish with her half-eaten French toast.

    “Here,” Mick held out his hand and dropped a single silver ring into her hand, “I found it on the ground earlier. I thought you would want it.”

Ava turned the singlet of silver over in her finger, her fingers traced over the cold metal, her heart clenching for a moment.

    “Thanks, Mick,” Ava whispered, forcing a small smile onto her face.

Mick nodded and took a seat between Zari and Ava after pulling a six pack from the fabricator. Zari slid half of the sandwich to him while he pushed one of the beer over to her and another to Ava. They all had come so far since they first met, and she was finally able to see underneath the rough exterior of Mick as the Legends did.

    “Director Sharpe, you are receiving a transmission from Waverly Earp,” Gideon’s voice resounded around the galley.

    “Patch her through Gideon,” Ava sighed.

    “Ava. We think we know why Malice wants Sara’s soul. What do you know about the Lazarus Pit?”

    “They used it to bring Sara back to life, but they had to restore her soul later.”

    “Exactly. Malice doesn’t want Sara’s soul. He wants his own.”

    “What?” Ava frowned, looking over at Zari and Mick.

    “Come to the homestead. There’s something you need to see.”


	13. Truth Pt 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Truths are finally coming to light, but will they come in enough time to save Sara Lance?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I would like to apologize for my unexpected and unannounced hiatus. I needed to take a mental break and a step back for a little while, but I did not forget about you my readers or my fics. I am back and ready to continue this journey. I hope you will continue to go along for the ride. 
> 
> Buckle up its about to get strange.

Ava slowly made her way up the steps of the homestead. Her finger gingerly skittering over the chipped wood of the railing, her mind going back to walking up these same steps with Sara not too long ago. A soft breeze raced across the vast open space sending dust whirling across the homestead along with drifting blades of grass. Her eyes focused on the grass for a moment, watching it drift and dance caught up in the turmoil and power of the wind unable to break free. Unable to break free like Sara… Before the thoughts could consume her again, she was brought out of her spiral by Zari’s calming hand on her shoulder.

    “Sara’s stubborn as hell. She’ll be okay,” Zari smiled, but the smile didn’t quite meet her eyes.

    “Thanks, Z,” Ava nodded despite the tightening feeling slowly forming in her chest.

When they entered the homestead, Waverly and Jeremy were both hunched over an open book, their eyes scanning over slowly fading text that Ava immediately recognized as Latin. As they approached the two looked up, waves of their anxious energy poured off of them, but Waverly’s eyes showed something more…hope.

    “Hey. Sit, please. We think we’ve found something,” Waverly motioned to the seats across from them.

Ava, Zari, and Nate sat down at the table their eyes going to the book that Jeremy was still pouring over. After a moment he turned the book to them with a flourish, smacking his hand down on the table.

    “That’s how we’re going to save your girlfriend. Partner. Significant other? Sorry, I don’t know your titles for each other. Who needs titles? You don’t have to use titles. You can if you want but,” Jeremy stammered for a moment before Ava slowly lifted her head, her eyes still cold.

    “Right. I couldn’t help thinking about what you said about Malice. That he wanted Sara because she has a connection with the death totem since she has died before,” Waverly explained, excitement building in her voice, “It got me thinking. Why didn’t Malice go after Wynonna? Technically she has died before too. Then I remembered you mentioning the Lazarus Pit.”

    “Yeah. That’s how they brought her back to life,” Ava nodded confused.

    “Exactly, but when they did her soul was still trapped until Constantine helped retrieve it.”

Ava rolled her eyes at the mention of the demonologists name who had been passed out drunk in the library the last time she had seen him. She stared down at the slow sloping letters on the page in front of them. The diagram above the wording showed the schematics to build a Lazurus pit, the words describing how to harness the full potential of the pit’s power.

    “Okay. Malice wants Sara because she’s been in the Lazarus Pit. Damian Darhk used the powers of the pit too, but Malice didn’t lust after him like Sara,” Zari pointed out.

    “What can you tell us about a woman named Nora Darhk? Records show she was possessed by Malice as well for many years,” Jeremy asked.

    “She’s Damian Darhk’s daughter. She became the demon’s vessel when she was really young,” Nate chimed in.

    “Precisely,” Jeremy smiled with finality, waiting for the others to catch on.

Zari, Nate, and Ava exchanged confused glances before looking to Waverly for an explanation.

    “Malice was only able to possess Nora, Damian, and Sara because they let him. Their physical bodies allowed him to interact with the world around him,” Waverly begins. 

    “Okay. Malice needs a body to wreak havoc. What does any of this have to do with why he chose Sara?” Ava groaned, her fingers going to her temple to massage out the tension like Sara usually did for her.

    “Sara just like the others was willing. She gave herself to him. He has control of her body, but unlike the others, Sara’s soul is up for the taking as well.”

    “What do you mean?”

    “Here,” Waverly pointed to a small passage on the book in front of them, “the Lazarus Pit was never meant to be used to bring someone back from the dead. When you die, your soul departs your body. When they put Sara into that pit, her soul was trapped there for some time.”

    “We know this already. What are you trying to suggest?”

    “What she’s saying pet, is that Sara’s soul while in her body is looser than the lips of a $20 whore. Malice is trying to push out Sara’s soul and replace it with his own,” Constantine stumbled into the kitchen leaning against the sink and taking a deep drink from his flask.

    “How is that even possible?” Nate frowned.

    “This is too confusing,” Zari sighed staring up at the ceiling.

    “Sara’s soul is still connected to the pit. That book there is a recipe for a spell to reverse the effect of the pit’s waters. Instead of giving life it will take it. Malice plans on killing Sara and them restoring his own soul in her body,” Constantine sighed, a frown forming on his face.

    “Exactly. That’s why he went after Sara. She’s the only one whose soul is connected to the Lazarus Pit,” Waverly nodded.

    “There’s one thing that doesn’t make sense to me,” Ava frowned, “Sara’s soul is connected to the pit because of her resurrection. If Malice wants to restore his soul wouldn’t his need to be connected as well.”

    “It is,” Jeremy whispered, slowly swiping open his Ipad and turning it around for them to see with a flourish.

Everyone’s eyes went wide as they took in the reconstructed image of the body Malice was in earlier, this time covered in royal regalia. The realization dawned on Nate first, and he stood up abruptly. The chair he was sitting in clattered against the kitchen floor as he began to pace back and forth.

    “I knew I recognized that face. You mean to tell me that Malice is prince Ra’s al Ghul saved over 600 years ago?” Nate stammered, still pacing back and forth.

    “Yes. It’s recorded here that when Ra’s killed Malice and his father, a few loyal subjects took Malice’s body to the Lazarus Pit, but he emerged a demon instead of a man,” Jeremy said, his voice deep as he paused for dramatic effect.

    “Well lucky for us there’s no Lazurus pit near,” Zari said, a hush fell over the room, “right?”

    “Lazarus pits are usually found along the junctions of ley lines, and there’s a major one in the center of Earp Lake,” Nate gasped.

They all looked at each other for a moment before scrambling into a sea of movement. As they bolted out the door, Wynonna, Nicole, and Dolls joined them. Waverly quickly explained the new discovery as they piled into cars and headed to Earp Lake.

Meanwhile, in Malice’s world, Sara stared out at the world around her. Seeing but unable to interact as Malice made his way through a tangle of weeds, a large lake opening up before them. The scene was calm, giving her momentary relief from the constant feeling of nothingness surrounding her. If she tried hard enough, she could imagine sitting next to the lake with Ava. Her hand in the woman’s warmer one as they watched the wind making ripples along the surface. A pain shot through her head at the thought of Ava, but she held on to the image despite it. She had done this to keep Ava safe, but now she knew that she had made a mistake. Ava would never be safe as long as Malice was alive, and now she was powerless to help them stop the time demon. With a sigh, she released the image of the woman she loved and sank back down into the darkness. The last thing she saw was the lake slowly turning green.


	14. Without you

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The beginning of the end

Thunder crackled around the hull of the Waverider as it dropped down in the clearing next to Earp Lake. Lightning skittered across the sky, and a soft rain began to patter against the hull.

    “All the things this timeship has, and it doesn’t have wipers?” Wynonna shrugged, “Who would have thought?”

Zari opened her mouth to correct her then closed it realizing that she was right. Everyone else slowly made their way over to the center console where Nate was looking at schematics of previous Lazarus Pits. Ava anxiously twirled the softly glowing blue knife as she listened to the plan once more.

    “Malice plans on ridding Sara’s soul of her body. To do that Sara’s physical body has to release it,” Nate began.

    “She has to die,” Dolls clarified.

    “Yes,” Nate glanced over to Ava’s worried face, “once she is dead, we believe Malice will have the other revenants carry her body into the Lazarus pit which will resurrect her body, but her soul will be lost like the last time.”

    “There’s one thing I don’t understand, the last time Sara had been dead for years. Why would her soul be lost so quickly this time?” Nicole asked.

    “Because Malice already has purchase on her soul. When she dies, his soul will drag her down right along with him,” John explained, taking a hefty swig of the flask in his hand.

    “We have to stop him before he can kill Sara. It’s our only chance at saving her,” Ava nodded with finality.

Everyone nodded in agreement and separated to ready themselves for the final preparations. Nicole slowly led Waverly into an open room down the narrow corridor. Her hands slipped around her waist as she leaned her forehead against Waverly’s. They didn’t speak for a moment and only listened to the sound of each others breathing. Focusing on the steady rise and fall of their chests as they steadied themselves, neither one wanting to speak the reality that they knew existed. There was a strong possibility they would fail and if Malice had his way Earp Lake would be their final resting place. Waverly reached up to tuck a loose strand of hair behind Nicole’s ear and pressed her lips gently against her girlfriends.

    “In case…in case things go wrong I…I just wanted to…” Nicole stammered.

    Waverly smiled, “I love you too.”

Nicole let out a huff and smiled at Waverly before connecting their lips again in a brief kiss.

    “I love you, Waverly Earp.”

Meanwhile, in Sara’s room, Ava sat on Sara’s side of the bed. The sheets were cold against her fingers the phantom sounds of laughter and hushed secrets playing in her mind. The knife felt like a lead weight in her hand as she thought about the part of the plan that they hadn’t discussed with the others. John had warned her that Malice may be too strong for Sara to fight now and if he were allowed to take over Sara’s soul would be trapped in limbo forever. A stray tear slipped down Ava’s face as she heard the rest of the conversation echo in her head.

    “If that happens love. When we send Malice to hell, I’m afraid Sara will go right along with him.”

She involuntarily clenched her palm around the knife blade, drawing a thin sliver of blood from her hand. Her eyes focused on the thin red mark angrily racing down her palm. An image of Sara lying broken and bleeding on the ground raced into her thoughts, an involuntary whimper bubbled low in her throat. The knife would save her, but in doing so, Ava would literally kill the woman she loved.

    “Ava?” Zari’s voice cut through the fog of Ava’s thoughts, “Are you ready?”

Ava nodded and followed Zari out of the Waverider and to the top of the ridge above Earp Lake. The wind around them howled and sent blades of grass whipping over the ridge. They all stood in silence watching as Earp Lake pulsed with an eerie green glow and revenants slowly patrolling along the edge. Amongst the revenants stood Sara, a smile on her face as the lake’s color pulsed in her eyes.  They crouched down and began making their way over the ridge and down towards the water.

    “You all have been faithful in your work, and now the moment of reckoning has arrived. When I am restored to full power, I promise I will help you make the Earps cower at your feet,” Malice laughed, “everyone who has wronged you and helped those wretched vigilantes send you to hell over and over will beg for mercy.”

The revenants all howled in agreement and began chanting Malice’s name. With a final pulse, the lake maintained its green color and a hush settled over the area.

    “I don’t like this,” Mick grunted as he charged up his heat gun, “green water reminds me of a bad night in Tijuana.”

    “Been there,” Wynonna sighed, pulling Peacemaker from the holster as it glowed orange in her hand.

They all shared one final look and began making their way down the ridge. As they neared the revenants, Malice turned his eyes focused on them despite the shadows shrouding them in darkness. Ava’s eyes locked onto the now darkened orbs that were usually crystal blue, anger flared low in her stomach as she slipped the knife from its sheath, the runes beginning to race up her arm.

Malice calmly pulled a vial from his jacket pocket and opened the stopper as shots rang out around them. Wynonna fired shot after shot sending revenants screaming into hell while John did the same, chants spewing from his lips in a never-ending stream of Latin. The others mowed the revenants down so Ava could race towards Malice who was calmly swirling the contents of the bottle and staring her down. Ava stood only a few feet away from Malice, blue runes swirled around her arms and down her fingers to the knife in her hand. Malice smiled wickedly and held the potion up to his lips.

    “You’re too late,” Malice sneered as he tipped the bottle.

Just as the liquid poured past his lips Sara’s eyes changed from black to the crystal blue that she knew. Ava’s heart fluttered with happiness for a moment before a sinking weight settled in her chest once again as the crystal blue was replaced by veins of gold.

    “Ava,” Sara gasped as the familiar sting of viper venom coursed through her bloodstream.

Her knees sank into the mud at the edge of the lake as the venom took hold of her, pulling her down into darkness even as Ava crossed the last few feet to envelop her in her arms. Sara clung desperately onto Ava’s arms, nails digging into her skin leaving tiny red marks in her skin. Ava sat the knife down on the ground and pulled Sara tighter into her arms. Tears streaked down her cheeks as she listened to Sara’s breath slowing down.

    “Sara. Hey. I’m here,” Ava whispered softly, pressing a kiss to Sara’s forehead.

    “Ava, I’m so sorry,” Sara gasped, her eyes holding fast to her girlfriend’s.

    “No. No. You were trying to save us.”

    “He’s too strong.”

    “You’re stronger.”

    “Aves.”

Sara clenched hard into Ava’s arm again and took a sharp breath, her eyes slowly fluttering closed for a moment. Ava looked up at the bubbling green lake for a moment and back down to the woman in her arms. Over her shoulder, the others had run off the remaining revenants and were making their way to her side. Ava picked up the knife she had sat down only moments before, the runes returning to their place along her skin as she leaned down to press a kiss to Sara’s lips.

    “I can’t,” Ava whimpered, the cold steel burned against her fingers.

    “I love you, Ava,” Sara gasped again, slowly bringing the knife in the woman’s fingers up to the place that it needed to strike.

    “I love you,” Ava cried, a sob breaking from her lips as she plunged the knife upward between Sara’s ribs.

Sara gasped once then breathed out once more, her body relaxing into Ava’s trembling arms. Blue runes ran from the blade and up to Sara’s chest, shone brightly for a moment before fading away. The only sound in the darkness was Ava’s sobs and the soft bubble of Earp Lake in front of them. Ava startled when a rough hand landed on her shoulder. She turned to see Mick, eyes wet with tears. He shared a knowing glance with her before bending down and lifting Sara’s body into his arms. He cradled her body close to his chest as Zari reached down to help Ava off the ground. The solemn group slowly made their way back to the Waverider. No one said a word even as they reached the timeship and Sara’s body was placed on an open bed in the medbay. Ava pulled a chair next to the bed, softly tucking hair behind Sara’s ear. Her skin was cold underneath her fingers. After what seemed like an eternity Wynonna stepped up to Ava and pressed a hand against her back.

    “It hurts, but in your heart, you know you did what was best. She knew that too,” Wynonna whispered before placing a kiss to the top of Ava’s head and exiting the medbay.

Waverly hugged her before leading Nicole away. Slowly everyone left after saying their whispered words of strength to Ava. John was the last person in the room. He simply walked over and placed his flask on the bed next to Ava’s hand that was slowly stroking Sara’s.

    “She loved you pet…even in the end,” John whispered.

Once the doors slid shut behind him, Ava crumpled forward onto the bed. Hot tears raced down her cheeks without abandon as her shoulders shuddered hard. The knife she had used to kill the woman she loved sat heavy on her thigh, Sara’s blood still drying along the blade.

    “I love you, Sara Lance. I’m so sorry. I’m so sorry that it came to this. I feel like its all my fault. I couldn’t save you. I don’t know how to do this. You’re gone, but Malice is still out there. How do I do this without you? How do I…how do I do any of this without you,” Ava sobbed, her tears falling against Sara’s cold skin.

Thunder still rumbled across the sky, rain spattering heavy against the timeship as the Earps and Dolls exited. Lightning struck near the Waverider, illuminating the trees nearby where a crowd of shadowy figures watched from the treeline.      


	15. The Return Pt 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Malice and Sara are both gone, but the demon has found a way to return before.

Ava groaned in her sleep, warm fingers slid along her cheek and tucked a piece of hair behind her ear. She sighed into the touch, trying to hold on to the remaining tendrils of sleep that still clung to her aching body. A few moments later, her eyes flickered open, a bright blue set of eyes stared back at her, accompanied by Sara’s smile.

    “Hey sleepyhead,” Sara laughed, leaning down to press a kiss to her forehead.

    “Sara? How?” Ava stammered, lifting her hand to the face of the woman she loved.

    “Shhh. It will all be okay babe. I’m right here,” Sara’s fingers slid down Ava’s side and around her back, and she leaned over to press a chaste kiss to the taller blonde’s lips.

    “I love you so much,” Ava whimpered, trying to shake the memory of killing Sara from her mind.

    “It will all be okay,” Sara whispered.

Ava looked up into the once sky blue eyes, her heart thundering as the eyes that met her now were cold and black. Before she could move, she felt the blade against her skin. A wicked grin spread across Sara’s face.

    “Goodbye, my love,” Sara laughed as she slid the blade up between Ava’s ribs.

Ava gasped loudly…

Ava sat up breathless, her body drenched in sweat from the dream that she just had. Her hand instinctively went to her side where the blade in the dream had been. Moments later, the reality of what she had done crashed down on her again. She stared confused around the room, taking a moment to remember how she had gotten to Sara’s room. The last thing she remembered was falling asleep in the medbay. Low lights slowly flickered on as Gideon brought up the lights now that she was awake. Around her, the room was illuminated in a soft glow, highlighting the things that made this room uniquely Sara. The set of bo staffs on the wall. A set of knives hidden inside the bedroom drawer. The blue Beebo wearing a Time Bureau suit that Ava had bought her for her birthday still sat in the chair where Sara read and cuddled with it even if she wouldn’t admit it. Pictures of them were placed around the room. The newest addition was a selfie they had taken on their trip to Vancouver. Their hair was dark with rain as they hunkered under the awning of a coffee shop to escape the downpour. Ava’s fingers traced reverently over the image, a tear slipping down her cheek.

    “Director Sharpe, there has been a breach of the ship. The Legends are on their way to investigate,” Gideon’s voice came over the speaker inside the room.

    “Thanks, Gideon,” Ava sniffled before poising herself and exiting the room.

She slowly made her way down the hallway, stopping just outside the medbay where she could hear someone inside. Her hand immediately went to her holster, undoing the gun from it. Gideon slid the doors open, and Ava pressed her back to the wall, making her way into the medbay. Hunched over Sara’s body was a figure in dark clothing, their back turned to her.

    “Freeze, don’t move,” Ava said, cocking her gun and aiming for the back of the figure’s skull.

Sickening deep laughter began to fill the room. The sound seemed to bounce off the walls of the Waverider, entombing her in the sound. The figure turned slowly, the man’s eyes glowing a deep red and a snarl painted on his face.

    “Ahh yes, the tall blonde one. Put down the gun, we already took care of your friends,” the man snarled.

    “Back away from her,” Ava shouted, her eyes scanning the room.

    “Can’t. My master must rise again,” he took a step towards her, his eyes glowing with each step.

Ava fired, the bullet striking the man between the eyes, his body crumpled backward onto the floor in a heap. She rushed over to Sara’s body and checked over her once. Seeing nothing wrong, Ava tucked her arms under Sara’s body and lifted her into her arms. Fueled by adrenaline Ava made her way down the hallway towards the lab where she knew the Legends kept their stolen couriers. Just as she made her way to the lab door, she paused. The doors stood closed in front of her refusing to budge.

    “Gideon. Doors please,” Ava whispered, knowing that the AI should hear her regardless.

Nothing. The ship remained quiet. The only sound was the hum of the temporal zone and the sound of her own fast breathing.

    “Gid…”

Darkness enveloped her as something struck her across the head. Seconds later, her eyes flickered open to see a revenant lifting Sara’s body into his arms. She struggled to stand, but the revenant from earlier stepped into her view, the same sickening smile on his face as he kicked her in the head, knocking her out cold.


	16. The Return Pt 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The revenants have Sara's body and Malice's plan is coming to fruition and the Legends are powerless to stop him. Will anyone be able to stop him in time?

The first thing that came into focus was the water slowly lapping up on the edge of the bank. Ava focused on the sound, using it to bring herself back into consciousness. Next, she felt the cold press of something around her wrists that she assumed were handcuffs. A quick tug against her restraints confirmed her suspicions, but she noticed that her feet weren’t restrained. She rolled over onto her back and sat up, taking in her surroundings. Earp Lake shone bright green and frothing next to her. A distance away, there was a blonde man that she quickly recognized as Constantine laying on his side. Blood trickled down his face from a gash near his hairline. Ava moved to her feet and made her way over to Constantine, dropping down onto her knees.

    “John,” she whispered in a rush, nudging the man with her knee.

    “The money’s on the nightstand,” John mumbled, slowly coming back into consciousness.

    “John, open your eyes dammit.”

Constantine’s eyes startled awake, his hand immediately going to his forehead. He sat up, his eyes wild as he recognized where he was.

    “The revenants attacked us on the ship. Where are they?” he panted, eyes scanning the treeline.

    “I don’t know. I think they were trying to take Sara’s body,” Ava explained in a rush, hearing the steady thud of footsteps in the distance.

Ava turned her back to John, she could hear him chanting for a moment before the handcuffs fell away with a thud. They helped each other to their feet and stepped out of view of the revenants making their way to the lake. Ava swallowed down an angry growl as she watched the revenant from earlier carrying Sara in his arms. The crowd stood at the edge of the lake and began making a circle of small stones. The revenant holding Sara moved to the edge of Earp Lake and looked over his shoulder. Suddenly another group of revenants appeared, pushing the other Legends and the Earps along in chains. A badly beaten Nicole Haught and Doc Holiday were alongside them as well. As they reached the bottom of the hill, Nicole threw her head backward, hitting the revenant holding her in the nose, and kicking him in the gut. He fell to the ground, and she kneed him in the chin knocking him out cold. Doc took the distraction as his opportunity to lash out at the revenant on his side. The Earps and Dolls joined in the fray, knocking down the revenants. Waverly twisted her body to step over the handcuffs and struck the revenant closest to her with her closed palms. The Legends began fighting back as well, striking and punching and despite their chained hands. Ava moved to join them, but Constantine forced her back down, wrapping his arms around her shoulders.

    “Stop it. They won’t win. It’s too many of them,” John whispered.

    “Not if we help them,” Ava struggled against him.

John muttered an incantation, and Ava’s body froze rigid. She grunted, unable to move as she watched her friends be overrun by revenants and secured in handcuffs again. The other revenants finished the circle of rocks they were forming and joined the others on the outer edges.

    “Tonight, we stand to witness the rise of the demon that will free us once and for all from the Ghost River Triangle and the Earp curse,” the revenant holding Sara smiled.

He turned back to Earp Lake and slowly waded into the water. Once he was waist deep in the water, he turned and kneeled so that Sara’s body went underwater. Ava fought against John’s spell to no avail, screaming internally. The revenants began to chant Malice’s name as the water frothed around the two in the lake. Their voices raised until it was the only sound reverberated around the space. It pressed down on everyone there. John winced next to Ava. The pain became so intense he released the incantation holding her still. Before Ava could move the chanting stopped and the water stilled.

Sara body emerged from the lake, her eyes distant and unseeing. A feral snarl ripped from her lips, and she turned towards the space where Ava and John were hiding.

    “Ahh. I see you’ve found our other prisoners,” the revenant smiled, nodding his head in Ava’s direction.

Two revenants broke away from the pack, rushing towards Ava and John. Before they could reach them, Sara raced from the water, reaching them first. Ava froze seeing Sara in front of her. Suddenly Sara’s hands were around her throat, and spots were swimming in her vision. Ava scraped at Sara’s hands, but her grip was too tight. The other revenants had secured John, gagging him, making him useless.

    “Sara,” Ava gasped out as the smaller blonde forced her to the ground, continuing to choke her.

Sara’s fingers only pressed down harder against her throat, and Ava lashed out with her feet, but nothing worked. The world slowly faded to black, but just before it was gone entirely, a loud yell filled her ears, and Sara’s hands released as her body was sent backward. Ava gasped, her lungs greedily drinking the air. She looked up to see Jeremy on the bank with a…

    “Potato launcher. Not much but it hurts like a beast,” Jeremy smiled, shouldering the device and striking the revenants holding Constantine. One of them broke away and raced up the hill, overpowering Jeremy quickly.

Sara snarled, pressing her hand to her stomach where the potato had struck. She lunged for Ava again but was dragged backward by the revenant from earlier and into the circle. John began chanting but stopped when the revenants holding the Legends and Earps pressed guns to the groups head.

    “Our master will return tonight, and you will help me. Send me into limbo so that I may restore his soul,” the revenant ordered, “or they all die.”

Constantine looked around the group. All of them were shaking their heads at him. Finally, his eyes fell on Ava, who was staring at Sara with tears in her eyes. He nodded and motioned for the revenant and Sara to go into the circle. He stepped forward kneeling next to Ava as he scooped up a handful of dirt.

    “Go for the circle,” he whispered to her as he stood again.

Ava’s eyes immediately went to the circle in front of her, focusing in on how to get to the middle. John began chanting, his eyes glowing bright, the ring around Sara and the revenant began to thrum with energy. Ava shoved herself up from the ground and raced towards its center. The other revenants ran for her but were too late as a bright light washed over them, and Earp Lake disappeared.

The light faded and Ava blinked, taking in the stone temple surrounding her. After a quick glance downward, she realized she was wearing the black combat suit she had taken from 2213. Her eyes scanned the area for a moment before she closed her eyes the way Sara had taught her. To her right, she could hear heavy footsteps like someone running, but they moved away from her before starting over in the same place. To her left was silence, the eerie quiet also held a presence that seemed to move closer. Behind her the slide of a sword from its sheath. She sidestepped, the sword in the hooded figure’s hand struck hard against the stone. The figure swung again, and Ava swayed to the side before locking its arm in a brace and forcing it backward, breaking the arm and making the sword fall to the ground. Ava picked it up and slit the figure’s throat, the body vanished soon after it hit the ground. Ava then moved forward towards the sound of water. She remembered that Sara had told her about her soul being trapped in a pool before. As she broke free of the temple, Earp Lake stood before her, but instead of the eerie green glow, it shimmered in a mix of black and white light. In the middle struggling to stay afloat were Malice and Sara. This Malice wasn’t the demon she had seen before, but a young man clothed in purple and gold robes. Sara’s eyes met her and for a moment hoped shone brightly in the bright blue eyes.

Ava slid down the short embankment and began wading into the water for Sara.

    “Ava look out,” Sara screamed just as an arrow whistled by Ava’s ear.

Ava turned to see the revenant from earlier brandishing a bow and arrow. He brandished the weapon and fired again, this time slicing open Ava’s shoulder. Ava ran and dove down into the water as he fired again. As she swam towards Sara, tendrils of darkness spread through the water wrapping around her legs, pulling her downward. She kicked and fought against them, swinging the sword in an attempt to free herself. Nothing worked, and she was dragged further down. Above her, she could see the revenant struggling as well as the same tendrils took hold of him and pulled him into the depths as well. Ava looked upward and saw Sara attempting to swim down towards her. Water rushed into Ava’s lungs as her body forced her to breathe. Fire raced through her body as another mouthful of water rushed into her lungs instead of air. She looked up to Sara’s terrified eyes and tried once more to fight. This time she focused on Sara and saving the woman she loved. It wasn’t just that Sara was stuck here. She had used the knife. She had done everything right, so why was Sara here. It wasn’t fair, and she had to right this wrong.

Just as suddenly as the burning in her lungs began, it stopped. Ava opened her eyes to see the dark tendrils falling away from her as blue runes ran up and down her body. She kicked upward, her head breaching the surface seconds later and gulping in air.

    “Ava!” Sara cried out, reaching for her.

    “Sara!” Ava reached out, their fingers connected, and the world went white again.

 

Water gushed from Ava’s stomach as she sputtered and vomited on the ground. Her eyes immediately darted up to see Sara lying in the middle of the circle of rocks. She reached out to the smaller blonde’s hand. Sara sat upward suddenly with a sharp inhale of breath and backed away from Ava.

    “Sara. It’s okay. You’re okay,” Ava reassured, her palms open.

    “No. No,” Sara whimpered, her eyes clouding over with darkness, “he came with us.”

Malice’s voice boomed around them, and the revenants howled with joy. He slowly stood and made his way over to Ava, who was on her knees, defeated.

    “Come on, hotpants,” Mick yelled.

    “Ava, please stand up,” Zari pleaded.

    “You’re an Earp. We always find a way,” Wynonna screamed.

Tears raced hot down Ava’s cheeks as Sara’s booted feet came into view. A shiver raced down her spine from Malice’s presence that felt stronger than ever.

    “Come on, Sharpie,” Constantine shouted from where he stood being restrained with the others.

Thunder rolled across the sky, and lightning struck the water nearby. Ava flinched at the sound, the weight of her failure rested heavy on her shoulders. Rain began to spatter and beat down on the gathered crowd as everyone watched in silence. Ava stared down at the dirt, wishing she had Peacemaker or at least the knife. With them, she had an edge on Malice. Suddenly she felt a weight on her side, and she slowly moved her hand. A gasp broke from her lips as she felt the knife in the sheath at her hip and the weight of a gun in her waistband.

    “Any last words?” Malice sneered, snatching her head backward by her hair.

    “Yeah. Go to hell,” Ava snarled, pulling the knife from its sheath and driving it up into Malice’s arm.

Malice staggered backward, and she rose to her feet, pulling Peacemaker from her waistband. She cocked it and pulled the trigger. Nothing happened. She frowned, cocked it again, and pulled the trigger. Nothing. Malice’s laughter filled the night air, booming along with the thunder as the rain continued to fall. He pulled the knife out of his arm and tossed it aside before walking back over to Ava. Ava pulled the trigger again, and nothing happened. She struck Malice across the temple, but he barely flinched, before ripping Peacemaker from her grasp and throwing it to the side.

    “I don’t understand,” Ava stammered.

    “I won,” Malice laughed, backhanding her across the face.

The force of the blow sent Ava to the ground, her head struck one of the rocks. The hot stickiness of fresh blood raced down her cheek as she struggled to stand only to be hit in the face again.

    “Ava!” Waverly screamed.

Ava looked up through the bloody haze of her vision towards her friends. Because of her, all of them would die. They had convinced her she would save them all, but all she had done was brought about their doom. Malice kneeled down in front of Ava and tucked a bloody strand of hair behind her ear.

    “Give up,” Malice sneered.

Give up. Give up.

The words seemed to echo in her head as her memory snapped back to times with Sara. Sara standing over her after taking her to the mat when they sparred. Sara helping her to her feet afterward and taking her through what she did wrong. Sara hoisting her to her feet when she was taken down during a mission. Bright blue eyes and an even brighter smile.

    “If there’s one thing I’ve learned from all of this it’s to never give up,” Sara said, smiling.

Ava’s hands curled into fists at her side as stared Malice down. Her body began to tremble with anger, her eyes growing dark.

    “I will never give up,” Ava hissed, her fist coming up to connect with Malice’s chin, sending him off balance.

Malice took a step back, giving Ava enough time to stand.

    “You can’t defeat me!” Malice yelled.

Ava calmly took a step towards him, her steps sure and steady.

    “I know,” she said simply, “but she can.”

Ava’s placed her hand gently against Malice’s chest, right below the neck where she had put her hand to calm Sara so many times before. Slowly orange and blue runes began to race up Ava’s body, swirling together and skittering along her skin. The runes flowed into Malice’s body, the blue runes growing brighter and stronger until they were all that remained. Blue returned to Sara’s eyes, and the smaller blonde collapsed into Ava’s arms. A set of orange runes flowed through the soil, Malice appearing in his demon form moments later. He stared down at Ava for a moment, fear evident in the darkness of his eyes.

Ava lifted Peacemaker from the ground as the runes returned to her skin in a mixture of blue and orange like before. She also lifted the knife from where it had fallen, the small blade turned into a magnificent sword in her grip. Malice roared and took flight. Ava calmly cocked Peacemaker and aimed upward. The mix of runes raced down the gun, and the bullet struck Malice in the chest. A hole opened up in the ground and orange tendrils of fire wrapped around Malice, dragging him down into it. Malice roared again, trying to fight against the flames to no avail. His claws dug into the ground, holding him on the edge of the pit. The sound of Ava’s boots in the dirt filled his ears as she calmly walked over to the pit’s edge. Her hair whipped around her, the flames from the pit shone brightly against her hair as she turned the sword over in her hand.

    “I can grant you power and riches beyond your wildest dreams,” Malice pleaded.

    Ava sneered, “Go to hell.”

She lifted the sword, the runes flashing in a mix similar to those on Peacemaker and brought it down on Malice’s neck severing it clean from his body. Malice fell back into the pit with a soundless scream, the flames illuminating the darkness in his eyes for a moment. The hole snapped closed, leaving no trace of its existence. Ava’s body still pulsed with the combination of orange and blue runes as she turned on the revenants staring at her.

    “Boo,” she spat, sending the revenants scrambling away from the group.

Once the revenants were gone, Constantine went about breaking everyone from their handcuffs as Ava went back to Sara. She knelt down in front of the smaller blonde who was still staring at her in disbelief.

    “Is it really over?” Sara whispered, staring past her to the place where Malice had been swallowed up.

    “Yes. It’s over,” Ava nodded.

Sara gasped, tears racing down her cheek as she enveloped Ava in a tight hug. Their lips crashed together in a deep kiss that neither wanted to break. When they did Ava blinked rapidly as her vision began to cloud over again.

    “Sara,” Ava managed to whisper before darkness took over once again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We are nearly at the end of our journey, but there are still some questions left unanswered.


	17. Hope and Family

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With Malice gone a few questions remain. What will become of the Legends and Earps now that their common enemy is gone?

The smell of disinfectant filled Ava’s nose as she blinked back into consciousness. A soft hand traced patterns along her arm, the smell of scotch and tropical scented shampoo that was uniquely Sara drifted to her nose. She turned her head to see the smaller blonde smiling up at her.

    “Hey there. You scared me,” Sara smiled.

    “I scared you. You were possessed by a demon and died twice,” Ava laughed.

    “Fair.”

    “What happened?”

    “You passed out when the adrenaline wore off.”

Ava nodded and sighed, closing her eyes to enjoy this moment of peace for a little while longer. Sara continued tracing nonsense patterns on her arm as they sat in silence.

    “I thought I lost you,” Ava finally whispered.

    “Yeah. I know…I’m so sorry, Ava.”

Sara pressed a kiss to Ava’s temple before sitting on the edge of the bed, her brow furrowed in thought.

    “What are you thinking about?” Ava asked.

    “Nothing.”

    “False. I can hear the gears.”

    “How did you save me? How did you separate me from Malice?”

    “I’m not sure. I just didn’t give up.”

    “Sorry to interrupt but you are being summoned to the library,” Gideon’s voice chimed through the medbay.

Both women nodded before making their way to join everyone gathered in the library. When they arrived, everyone clapped and cheered for Ava, making her blush. Once the ruckus died down, they turned their attention back to the screen, Jeremy had pulled up for all of them to see. In the picture were a man and a woman holding a baby.

    “Isn’t that Iustus?” Ava frowned...

    “Yes,” Jeremy nodded.

    “I don’t understand.”

    “This picture was taken in Zambesi right around the time when Malice first appeared,” Waverly began to explain, “the woman in the picture is named Motoria do you recognize anything in the image.”

    “The death totem,” Sara pointed to the partially hidden totem on the woman’s neck.

    “I don’t understand. Why didn’t Iustus mention he had a kid?”

    “I’m still stuck on the fact that angels can have children?” Wynonna said, looking around the room for support.

    “Fair point,” Zari agreed.

    “I think we need to visit our angelic ally one more time,” Jeremy explained.

    “Angelic ally?” Nate raised an eyebrow.

    “It’s a working name.”

 

Ava stepped into the hallway outside of Iustus’s apartment, rubbing her palms against her side.  Sara’s fingers slipped into hers clasping tight around Ava’s fingers and pulling her into her side.

    “You’re okay. We got this. The hard part is over. Malice is gone for good,” Sara whispered.

    “I know. I…” Ava swallowed hard past the lump in her throat, her eyes unable to focus on Sara.

    “Don’t go to your corner. Talk to me,” Sara said, forcing Ava to look at her.

    “Learning about myself is too hard. We already know I’m a clone, what more could there be?”

    “I don’t know, but whatever it is we will get through it together. We’re a team, my love.”

Ava nodded and pulled Sara into a deep hug. They stayed like that in each other’s embrace until the door opened up next to them.

    “Are you going to keep hugging in my hallway or are you going to come in,” Iustus jested.

They separated from their hug and stepped into the apartment. Iustus walked over to the bar where three glasses of scotch were already poured. He handed one to each of them and took a long sip of his own.

    “Malice is gone,” he said simply, draining his glass.

    “Yes, but we have questions,” Sara said squeezing Ava’s hand.

    “Right. This is about Aso,” Iustus sighed, reaching behind him and giving them a small photo album.

They began flipping through the pictures. The book was filled with pictures of Iustus and a woman with a baby and pictures of him in Zambesi, the images long faded and folded from wear.

    “I met Motoria when I first arrived to fight Malice. It was some time before he made his appearance, and she was a fearsome warrior. Powerful. Cunning. Beautiful. We fell in love and had our daughter Aso,” Iustus pointed to a picture of a young toothless girl smiling amidst the backdrop of the savannah.

    “Motoria bore the death totem,” Sara inquired.

    “Yes. It takes a person of unmeasurable strength to bear the totem without being overcome by its power. Motoria was the strongest in her village. Its one of the many things that made me fall in love with her,” Iustus poured another glass of amber liquid from the decanter on the bar.

    “What happened?” Ava asked, sitting her own glass down and taking the seat next to Iustus.

    “Malice didn’t show at first. We knew he had breached your world, but he hadn’t shown his cards. We settled into our lives, got married, had Aso. When Aso was four, Malice finally showed his hand and appeared in Zambesi. Motoria wasn’t able to control the totem when it came time and Malice remained on earth. The death totem took over her body, and the woman I love was lost to its power,” Iustus stood, scrubbing tears from his eyes and walked over to the bookcase, pulling a small vial from between a series of novels.

He returned to the bar and placed the vial attached to a silver chain in between the open pages of the photo album on Sara’s lap.

    “She killed herself. That vial contains the ashes her mother allowed me to have. I failed my mission. I failed my family. I was cursed to wander the timeline until I found Malice and sent him to hell for good. I had to leave Aso behind. I hoped that she would live a normal life, but instead, she took on my mission. She devoted her life and the lives of her children to kill the demon that took away her parents.”

    “I don’t understand. How does that explain why I was able to kill him. I understand that I could use Peacemaker because I have Earp DNA, and you blessed me with the sword. I still don’t understand how I was able to mix the streams.”

    “Ahh yes. Mr. Chetri was correct in his musings about you inheriting curses Ava. You inherited mine and the Earps. Your DNA contains both Earp DNA and my descendants. The first Ava was created in the forge of Eden as a weapon to destroy the demon Malice for good. We used the Earp DNA because the Earp heirs have a unique ability to embrace chaos without being overcome by it. From my DNA, the Ava got its sense of justice. They massed produced the Avas hoping that when the time came, they would be able to defeat Malice once and for all, but time after time they failed. Until you.”

    “But why am I different?” Ava swallowed hard, afraid to hear the answer.

    “You have her,” Iustus nodded to Sara, “You gave her hope, Ms. Sharpe. She was able to reject Malice because you gave her the willpower to do it. After that, the rest was easy. You wanted to serve justice by saving Sara, but Sara also helped you understand the chaos.”

Sara and Ava sat in silence for a moment before closing the photo album and handing it to Iustus.

    “Thank you, Ms. Sharpe. I can finally go home,” Iustus smiled.

Iustus’s wings shot out from his back brilliantly bright for a moment, a smile on his face. Once the light faded Ava and Sara were left in an empty apartment. Sara linked her fingers with Ava’s before pulling her down for a kiss.

    “We have another stop to make,” Sara smiled.

    “We do?” Ava frowned.

Sara opened a portal, pulling Ava through onto the Earp homestead. There was a picnic table set up in the yard, Doc was cooking on a grill nearby. The portal snapped shut behind them, and the Earps all turned towards the sound.

    “Ava! Sara!” they cheered, raising beers towards them.

Wynonna walked over to them, handing them beers and taking Ava by the hand.

    “Family dinner, come sit.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all so much for sticking with the story. This was a labor of love, and I would like to thank everyone for their patience, kind words, and amazing responses. I hope to continue providing quality fanfiction in the future for my amazing readers. 
> 
> I am humbled by you all.


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